This Thursday, Lisbon City Council discusses the new Local Accommodation regulations, which have been waiting for developments for more than a year. And Carlos Moedas’ proposal has been approved, as the DN had anticipated.
The two Chega councilors voted in favor, placing themselves alongside the eight mandates of the PSD-CDS-PP-IL coalition. The PS proposal, which provided for ratios of 2.5 and 5% in Lisbon, was rejected by the right, despite favorable votes from Livre, Bloco and PCP.
Moedas proposed that in areas of absolute containment the new regulation for Local Accommodation be reduced from 20% to 10% and in relative containment it should be reduced from 10% to 5%. Even so, these numbers double those that were in public consultation and signed by the previous PSD/CDS-PP leadership, which led to widespread criticism from the left, which called for more restrictive ratios.
The issue had a year to be resolved, since the government approved the removal of the municipal authority to review records, at the end of 2024. Since then, suspensive measures have been applied to circumvent this. The situation naturally has a greater impact on Lisbon given the greater tourist demand and Carlos Moedas has been criticized by the left-wing opposition, since, after the public consultation process, which ended in April, the issue was not followed up and the president of the Chamber used the two possible postponements.
Without having closed the regulation in September, the opposition accused the illegality and the end of the moratoriums, while Carlos Moedas argued that, given the hiatus to take office, he would gain three more weeks without the Local Accommodation being deregulated, that is, without any owner being able to apply for licenses. THE City Council guarantees that, given the suspension of new licenses, there were no new registrations, therefore the problem did not worsen.
In 2019, according to data collected by DN, it is clear that Local Accommodation increased from 16,000 to 18,500, forcing political action. In 2014, in comparative terms, there were less than 500.
Chega, to DN, through the voice of Bruno Mascarenhas, said he agreed with the ratios and explained that “The problem of the lack of housing is not related to Local Accommodation, but rather to overcrowding resulting from immigration”.
In the initial plan under public consultation, with the ratio set at 5%, there would be limitations on licenses in Santa Maria Maior, Misericórdia, Santo António, São Vicente, Arroios, Estrela, Avenidas Novas and Alcântara. Now, with 10 Local Accommodation projects per 100 housing units, Avenidas Novas and Alcântara can no longer impose limitations, for example.
Some amendment proposals are still being voted on this morning. It was not predictable that they would be able to follow the left’s suggestions, but Chega presented a proposed change regarding the inspection of licenses.