Lisbon resumes affordable youth income program with 25 dwellings

Lisboa resumed today the Accessible Income Program Back to the Neighborhood, with 25 houses in competition for young people up to 35 years old, after being suspended following an audit that identified “fragilities” on the platform.

“The draw of the 39th Accessible Income Program contest took place today, under the initiative Back to the Neighborhood, aimed at young people up to 35 years old, with 25 houses in competition”, confirmed the City of Lisbon (CML), in written response to Lusa.

The Observer reported today that the Public Prosecutor (MP) is analyzing the procedure of drawing affordable housing from the CML, following an external audit that identified “fragility” in the digital platform used in the process, and that the municipality again today drew houses on the same platform, after having suspended this sort of raffle for three months.

Official source of the Lisbon House clarified that the suspension of the drawing of affordable housing was not imposed by “any judicial determination”.

The Return to the Neighborhood program is intended to facilitate the return of young people up to 35 years old to the historic districts of the city, where they grew up.

At the last Chamber meeting, the BE councilor questioned the PSD/IL/CDS-PP leadership on the suspension of the youth affordable income program.

“It is the first time that there is postponement and suspension of programs, some of which, Mr. President, I have seen you present with great pomp and circumstance, such as the Young Accessible Income ‘Back to the Neighborhood’, which was postponed. Today it brings us 90 houses, but there are at least 200 houses that have been suspended by you, explain to us there, Mr President, be transparent about this ", asked the Bloquist councilman, Ricardo Moreira (in place of Councilwoman Carolina Serrão).

In response, CML President Carlos Coins (PSD), referred to the PCP: “I think you could ask Councilman João Ferreira, because, deep down, as you know, we were confronted here with some questions about the contests. So we had to clarify to see if everything was being done within the rules, and I’m glad the CFP warned.”.

On the same occasion, the councilwoman of PS Alexandra Leitão questioned Carlos Coins if there was intervention by the Public Prosecutor following the problems detected on the platform of the rental contests.

“It’s the question asked to give you an answer [after], because I don’t think it’s an answer I can give lightly, especially if we talk about the Public Prosecutor,” CML’s president replied.

At the public meeting of the camarary executive at the end of June, the CML approved a new competition of the Accessible Income Program (ARP), with 20 homes for residents aged 60 years or older, with opening of applications scheduled for the end of July.

At the time, the CFP presented an alternative proposal – rejected for receiving only votes from seven councilors, against 10 votes in favour of the leadership proposal – which kept the initial proposal.

The alternative proposal provided for the full implementation of the recommendations contained in the evaluation report to the events of the 29th Competition of the CML Accessible Income Programme, which points to “severe gaps in the procurement procedure and, in particular, the computer platform that supports the procedures for the allocation of municipal dwellings”.

“ It is essential that the credibility of this process of attribution is bulletproof, that there is no doubt, no suspicion about exemption and integrity ", then defended the communist councilman, João Ferreira.

The Housing Councilor, Vasco Moreira Rato (independent, indicated by the PSD) said he was “sure that all the conditions of reliability of the contest are met” and considered that “stopping or suspending these contests implies leaving people waiting”.