Latest news and stories about housing support in Portugal for expats and residents.
The government has rejected claims of discrimination against Portuguese citizens living abroad regarding access to property reconstruction funds. The Ministry clarified that support is available for primary residences but excludes second homes (segunda habitação). Property owners residing abroad should note that these subsidies are restricted to permanent dwellings and do not apply to holiday homes in Portugal.
The deadline for housing support applications for homes damaged by Storm Kristin concludes today, with the government pledging to finalize all financial aid processes by June 30th despite significant backlogs in processing.
Municipal leaders have pushed back against Minister Castro Almeida's accusations that local councils are responsible for delays in housing reconstruction support, arguing that the government failed to provide necessary resources and shifted the administrative burden onto them without consultation.
Soraia Franco Leite from Deco Proteste clarifies that the moratorium is a suspension of payment rather than debt forgiveness. She emphasizes the need for caution in applying the government's exceptional measures following the disaster, which have raised questions about moratoriums and tax obligations. Official clarifications are necessary, particularly concerning insurance activation and housing recovery support.
Three months after the storm Kristin, the Ferreira do Zêzere City Council has completed the entire validation process for applications and reports the figures: out of 10,143 applications submitted, 1,777 have been analysed by the local authority, 906 are in the payment phase, and 242 have already received financial support. The municipality has exceeded 10,000 requests for assistance.
Between 150 and 200 applications are receiving support every day for the reconstruction of homes damaged by the severe weather that affected the central region of the country.
Almost 36,000 applications for reconstruction support were received, of which 10,000 had been analysed by this Tuesday.
The Government has received around 35,900 applications for support to reconstruct homes in areas affected by bad weather this year, amounting to 210 million euros, the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion reported today.
Councilman Ricardo Santos considered the number of paid applications to be “manifestly low.” He added that “more than five thousand [applications] have already been processed” and some of them have been inspected.
Out of a total of 9,227 applications for support to reconstruct homes damaged by bad weather in the municipality of Leiria, 179 have been paid, the City Council announced today, the day the deadline for submission ends.
The Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion has committed to completing the financial support processes for homes affected by Storm Kristin by 30 June.
The Government aims to complete the allocation of support for homes damaged by storm Kristin by June 30, but only 3,200 of the 30,000 applications had been decided by the end of March, despite 250 million euros being available.
The deadline for submitting applications for support to rebuild primary and permanent residences affected by the bad weather that hit Portugal in January and February ends this Tuesday, the 7th. The deadline was set in an order by the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, published in the Diário da República on March 30th. In statements made at the end of that month, the minister committed to concluding the financial support processes for homes affected by Storm Kristin by June 30th. While aiming to accelerate the process, he acknowledged that funds are taking time to arrive. Of the 30,000 applications submitted two months after Storm Kristin, only 3,200 cases had been decided—just over 10%—with four million euros paid out. Castro Almeida noted that 250 million euros are available through the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions for the Centre and Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions. At least 19 people died following the passage of storms Kristin, Leonardo, and Marta in late January and early February, with hundreds more injured or displaced. The storms caused widespread destruction to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, resulting in billions of euros in damages, with the Centre, Lisbon and Tagus Valley, and Alentejo regions being the most affected.
The deadline for support for permanent homes affected by the storms at the beginning of the year ends this Tuesday. This support should be concluded by June 30, said the Minister of Economy.
Of the 30,000 applications submitted by the date marking two months since Storm Kristin, only 3,200 cases had been decided.
The deadline to submit applications for support aimed at the reconstruction of primary and permanent residences affected by the bad weather ends on April 7, the Government indicates in an order published in the Diário da República.
The deadline to submit applications for support aimed at the reconstruction of primary and permanent residences affected by the bad weather ends on April 7, the Government indicates in an order published in the Diário da República.
The deadline for submitting applications for support aimed at the reconstruction of primary and permanent residences affected by severe weather ends on 7 April, the Government indicated in an order published in the Diário da República (DR). The order from the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Castro Almeida, was published this Monday, 30 March, in the DR and determines the closure of applications for primary permanent housing support. The Government has committed to completing the financial support processes for homes affected by Storm Kristin by 30 June. Minister Castro Almeida acknowledged that only 3,200 of the 30,000 applications submitted have been decided upon, and only four million euros have been paid out of the 250 million euros available. At least 19 people have died in Portugal since 28 January following the passage of the low-pressure systems Kristin, Leonardo, and Marta, which also caused widespread destruction and billions of euros in damages.
The deadline to submit applications for support aimed at the reconstruction of primary and permanent residences affected by severe weather ends on April 7, the Government indicated in an order published in the Diário da República (DR). The order from the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, was published on Monday in the DR and...
Over the weekend, the Government committed to completing the financial support processes for homes affected by Storm Kristin by 30 June.
Over the weekend, the Government committed to completing the financial support processes for homes affected by storm Kristin by June 30.
The Minister of Economy wants the support process for private individuals completed by June 30th and announces a 75 million euro advance to municipalities.
The government intends to finalise the assistance procedures for housing damaged by Storm Kristin within a three-month timeframe.
Manuel Castro de Almeida acknowledged that there is a significant delay.
The Portuguese government announced in Pombal that it intends to finalise financial support for homes damaged by Storm Kristin by June 30, admitting that the process is significantly behind schedule. Minister Manuel Castro de Almeida noted that only 3,200 of 30,000 applications have been processed, with only four million euros paid out of 250 million available. To accelerate the process, over 750 technicians are being deployed to assist municipalities with damage assessments. Additionally, the government plans to provide advance payments to local councils and is working with the European Commission to ensure that Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) funding remains secure despite project delays caused by the storm.
The Government announced today in Pombal that it intends to have the financial support processes for homes affected by Storm Kristin concluded by 30 June, while acknowledging that there is a significant delay.
Manuel Castro de Almeida, Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, acknowledged that there is a significant delay.
The president of the Coordination and Regional Development Commission of the Centre (CCDRC) is convinced that only one-third of the applications submitted to support the reconstruction of homes devastated by the series of low-pressure systems will be eligible for support. Fraud, applications for second homes (which are not eligible), and a lack of basic information are some of the reasons.
From blatant cases of creativity to irregularities linked to a lack of knowledge of the rules, not all applications for reconstruction support in areas affected by the 'train of storms' are being approved, according to Paulo Fernandes, coordinator of the central region mission structure, and the Mayor of Leiria, speaking to ECO/Local Online.
The CCDR of Lisbon and Tagus Valley has approved 600 requests for support for homes affected by this year's storms in its territory, totaling two million euros, the entity's president told Lusa.
