The movement Porta a Porta advised the Government to adopt a similar measure to the one approved in Spain to help solve the housing crisis issues. The measure approved in Spain has led to the taxation of 100% on the value of a purchased house by non-residents, from countries outside the EU.

The measure was announced by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez and it is part of a pack of 12 initiatives aiming to make housing more affordable for Spanish citizens. The pack also includes measures that benefit landlords who sign long-term renting contracts and holds strict measures to those who sign short-term renting contracts.

What is the Porta a Porta movement?

Porta a Porta is a Portuguese movement that was created when the housing crisis affected Portugal. The group wants, above all, to make housing accessible to all Portuguese residents, by facilitating the access to housing.

The group is formed by people from various age groups, from the whole Portuguese territory, who share the struggles of maintaining a proper house, whether due to high rent prices or because of the increase of the taxes that are paid, when a house is bought.

Porta a Porta has already organised demonstrations, throughout the country, to call to the attention of governors to provide proper housing measures to the Portuguese citizens.

Currently, the movement has available a petition for people to sign supporting the group’s principles that everyone deserves a house, as described in the 65th article of the Portuguese Constitution.

The Portuguese call-out

The spokesperson for Porta a Porta, André Escoval, stated that Portugal should adopt similar initiatives, defending that relying on market dynamics did not solve the housing crisis being felt in the country. In the same statement, Escoval mentioned that the housing crisis in Portugal has gradually increased.

On the other hand, Carlos Luís Teixeira, representative of the National Association of Property Owners in Portugal, pointed out that the housing crisis in the country results, mainly, from a lack of social and economic issues. According to the representative, the Spanish’s initiatives are not problematic, however, Portugal must invest in housing solutions, that pass by modernising the construction sector and guaranteeing public support for the purchase of properties.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos