The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity revealed today in Ribeira Grande that 460 families residing in the municipality of Ribeira Grande have benefited from several housing support programmes during this legislative period.

"Indeed, the Government has authorised a total of 461 support measures under several housing support programmes managed Regional Directorate for Housing, representing an investment over 4.3 million Euros," said Andreia Cardoso. With regard to the overall amount, the government official added that "nearly two million Euros, corresponding to 200 households, were invested in the recovery and rehabilitation of buildings."

Andreia Cardoso spoke on the sidelines of a visit to some families benefiting from the support for the recovery of housing in the villages of Conceição e de Santa Bárbara in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, São Miguel.

This visit followed the signing of collaboration agreements between the Region and the village councils in order to ensure the good management of public funds and support to improvement of safety and health conditions of housing, , through established partnerships.

"Working in partnership has been a key tool to extend these support programmes to more families with the same resources. In some way, and to the best of their abilities, the partner organisations of the Regional Government contribute with their own resources, ranging from the management of support, hand labour and to the provision of construction materials, which are used in the housing rehabilitation interventions," stressed the Regional Secretary.

The more than 1,400 people who make up the 460 beneficiary families are spread across all villages in the municipality of Ribeira Grande.

"It is important to inform that the applications to the support measure for the recovery of degraded housing are authorised in accordance with the priority status awarded by technicians and in the context of the financial context of the support measure in question," said Andreia Cardoso.

"We only authorise what we can afford, thus avoiding the creation of false expectations," the Regional Secretary added, noting that the Government will continuing to verify the work carried out locally in order to check if public support has improved the living conditions of beneficiary families.