“The Municipality of Loures is carrying out the demolition of eight illegal constructions in the town of Catujal, eight families that have been properly analyzed and referred to the Social Security services, eight families that have been living in that place for months and built those tents” , began by explaining to the Lusa agency the vice-president of the municipality, Sónia Paixão.
According to the person in charge, the action is part of the housing policy that the municipal executive is carrying out “of great inspection in the territory in order to not allow the construction of new houses of this nature”.
Sónia Paixão said that the cases were “duly reported more than a week ago and existing support mechanisms were provided”, under the responsibility of Social Security, which is responsible for providing emergency shelter, according to the official.
The Habita association today denounced the eviction of seven families in the Talude neighbourhood, who stopped the machines that were going to demolish the tents and are awaiting a definitive housing solution.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, the missionary from the parish of Camarate José Manuel explained that seven families were notified that their houses were going to be demolished today, adding that “there are certainly 20 or 30 more shacks, only seven families received the demolition order”.
According to the missionary, people “put themselves in front of the machines and did not let them advance”.
Sónia Paixão also added that “of the eight, there are two cases that are being analyzed cumulatively by the council services because they eventually meet requirements in light of the housing regulation”, although they can now be welcomed under the emergency.
“[Os dois casos] They are still under analysis in our services so that, if conditions exist, they can eventually be relocated”, he said, referring to the city council regulation in force since September 2022, namely the issue of residence in municipal territory for two years so that housing can be allocated.
However, the vice-president acknowledged that some of the families in question “have lived in the national territory for a few months, do not meet the requirements and many even have addresses in neighboring municipalities to Loures”.
“All elements were requested and, in light of the documentation delivered, only two situations meet the requirement to be rehoused [pela câmara]”, he stressed.
The official stressed that the emergency response “is the responsibility of Social Security, which is analyzing and finding the best solutions”.
“The circumstance in which these people developed this house is not legal. Building a tent on private land is not legal. Solutions must be found from the housing point of view with dignity, with legality”, she stressed.
According to the Habita association, the municipality had not presented “any alternative for adequate housing”, so it was going to send “several families with children to the street”.
According to Habita, among the people who will be displaced is “a sick pregnant woman” awaiting a vacancy for a heart operation, as well as “an elderly and very sick gentleman, as well as five minors and two newborns.”
“The majority are unemployed people looking for a job. But there are also formally employed women whose income is not enough to access housing”, says the association’s note.
According to Habita, several organizations are present at the site and oppose “the barbarism of the system that only defends property and profit and throws people into increasingly unsustainable situations of poverty and onto the streets”.
The association also mentions that these families, having failed to find a housing option “had no alternative but to build a tent”.
