“We have to create conditions for young people who do not want to stay in their parents' house or have housing difficulties, but also for young people who want to live in the municipality of Odemira”, said the mayor of Odemira, Hélder Guerreiro, to Lusa news agency.

In this sense, the autarchy foresees the construction of “150 dwellings” to attract a young population to the local area over the next five years.

Approved in September by the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU), the strategy aims to respond to the territory's housing needs, improve the attractiveness of the urban environment in Odemira and implement a shared governance model.

"All these solutions are to resolve situations of permanent housing and, therefore, are to resolve situations of the population of Odemira who reside here and wish to reside, regardless of the nationality of the people who live here", noted the mayor.

Situations in the Area of ​​Illegal Fractionation of Rustic Property (AFIRP) of Vila Nova de Milfontes "is the second priority" of the municipality, which wants to "take advantage of HLT" to "solve a problem that has dragged on for decades”.

“These are houses that are being built illegally and with poor access to water, energy and sanitation”, and “the living conditions are very precarious”.

AFIRP is located in an area of ​​1,289 hectares and covers the places of Pousadas Velhas, Malhadinhas, Caiada, Lagoa das Gansas, Freixial, Alpenduradas, Foros da Pereira/Pereirinha, Brunheiras and Galeado, in the parish of Vila Nova de Milfontes.

This situation has created "a serious problem" in the "housing conditions" of about 120 families, stressed the mayor.

“Now the idea is to move on to implementing the housing conditions that are provided for in the plan to resolve the illegal buildings”, during the current mandate, with “very close proximity work” with the residents of that area.

Also according to Hélder Guerreiro, the Local Housing Strategy identified “more than two thousand” situations of housing shortage throughout the municipality.

The ELH foresees “a set of resolution proposals” that include “the lease, the construction of new dwellings” and “the availability of subdivisions for the construction of dwellings”.