In Portugal, fewer houses have been built in recent years and there are more and more overcrowded homes. The conclusions are from an analysis of the latest censuses by INE and by National Civil Engineering Laboratory. For entities, the housing problem in Portugal must be resolved in an integrated manner between the public and private sectors.
Between 2011 and 2021, the number of houses for housing grew just 1.9%. It was the lowest growth in the last 100 years and was inversely accompanied by an increase in overcrowded homes.
Before 2011, overcrowded accommodation represented almost 13% (12.7%) of the total number of houses. In the last census, this percentage exceeded 17% (17.1%).
The slowdown in construction is reflected in the lack of houses, but also in the aging of buildings.
As for buying and renting a houseINE and LNEC found that, between 2011 and 2021, 70% of houses were occupied by the owner, who spent on average between 200 and 400 euros.
Renting was the most expensive option with values that can exceed 1000 euros per month in cities like Lisbon and Algarve.
In Portugal, the vacant homes still represent around 12% of total family accommodationdespite the efforts of the last Government to try to reverse these numbers by giving owners a deadline to put empty houses on the market, a measure that at the time generated a lot of controversy.
The new Government has already said that it wants reverse forced leasing.
LNEC says that it is necessary to think of a more comprehensive solution at different levels.
When asked about solutions, both entities say that they involve joint debate between the public and private sectors.
For now, they say that data is essential to draw a scenario and only then draw up a plan.
