Hundreds of people from different generations manifested themselves in Leiria

“ A nazaré’s biggest wave is the housing crisis”, “houses without people, people without homes”, “for the right to live in the Marinha Grande”, “more public and affordable housing”, were some of the posters and banners exhibited by protesters, from various municipalities of the district of Leiria, who paraded through the center of Leiria.

Among the protesters there is no shortage of examples of young workers who do not achieve their autonomy or are forced to have two jobs to bear the price of income.

“I’ve been outside my parents’ house now I’m back. I am licensed, work and came across room prices shared at 380 euros in Leiria and I am talking about more affordable values ", told Lusa Bruna Catarino, 27 years old, licensed in Graphic Design.

With a degree and graduate degree, Iara Duarte, 30 years old, works and “even so does not”, reinforces, by venting that she is a social worker and earns “a little more than the minimum wage”. “I help vulnerable people, but I myself am in this situation.”

“ I have a steady salary, a degree, and I earn a little bit above average. I just moved to Leiria, but I was only able to rent a house in Caranguejeira [a village about 15 kilometers]”, said another young woman, who prefers anonymity.

At the age of 27, the young graduate confessed that even with a salary “life is difficult” and must have “a second job”.

Igor Araújo's roommate is the mother. “I have been living with my mother for about a year and a half, with whom I share my expenses,” she admitted, saying that it is only then possible for both of them not to go through a financial suffocation.

At the age of 27, with a master’s degree in Marketing and working in the area, he said that “if he was alone in a house, the money would be just to pay all expenses. We were told that if we had a degree and a master's degree we would have better living conditions. I have this and I can’t get my autonomy”, he criticized.

“Great journey of struggle. It's probably the longest fighting journey since April 25th. We have been in 32 cities today, in numerous demonstrations and concentrations. It is good that those on the street know that they are not going out alone ", said to Lusa the spokesman of the movement Door to Door – House to Live, António Gonçalves.

The young man pointed out that the “objective is to show that this [household problem] is not a Lisbon problem, it is not a Porto problem, it is not a central Leiria problem. It is a national problem”.

António Gonçalves noted the presence of different generations, remembering that it is not only the case of Maricarmen, in Spain, but there are “old people who are being evicted” and “who have a job, sometimes up to two and three, and cannot rent a house, or when they rent a house they hardly have life to pay for it”.

According to the spokesman the students of the University of Leiria and West (ULO), to whom they promised them “to study their dream and fulfill all the promise of higher education”, “they arrive in Leiria and cannot even rent a house”.

He added that there are cases of students who “come from public transportation from Coimbra to study at the ULO”. “So it is obvious that this is a complete problem. It's not just for the older ones, not just for the younger ones. It is something that goes beyond generational problems”, he said.

About the meeting the movements had with the President of the Republic, António Gonçalves considered it “a sign”.

“It’s funny that the Prime Minister and the Government have been irreducible so far” in listening to the protesters, but “now that there has been a sign from the President, the Prime Minister already says that he may be able to hear and talk to the people of the popular movements, the campers, the door-to-door, the house to live, etc.”.