Residents in tents of Vila Franca de Xira criticize locality

Os residents in tents without water, light and sanitation in the neighborhoods of Clarimundo and Tardoz da Improsit, in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira, accuse the municipality of, while postponing its relocation, wanting to "give a good image".

In question is an operation carried out on 21 July in these two clusters of precarious housing, located in the parish of Sobralinho, in Vila Franca de Xira, district of Lisbon, and where 37 people live.

The operation, triggered by the Public Security Police (PSP), but with the participation of several municipal teams (fiscalization, environmental area and social action), resulted in the identification of 11 precarious housing “legally occupied” and 11 vacant and uninhabited buildings.

“ A survey, a census of families, [...] pointed out the names of households, children, parents, mothers, saw the conditions in which we are living”, told Lusa Rafael (fictitious name), 36 years old and living as a baby in Tardoz da Improsit, where she received Lusa, along with another dozen residents.

“ We were told that the empty tents, those that are [...] returned, would be demolished and [...] that we would be relocated, but [...] they gave us absolutely no date”, he said, adding that two local technicians later returned to the site to “take pictures of empty tents”, repeating that they would be knocked down, but without any prediction.

However, on September 5, the local newspaper “O Mirante” gave as effect the demolition of 11 abandoned buildings, noting that the tents in Sobralinho “had ceased to exist”.

After being on the news about half a year ago, Lusa returned to the ground in the last week of September, having confirmed that the scenario did not change: the return constructions remain, as well as the skeletons of various cars and appliances consumed by time or fire.

“ So far nothing [was done] remains exactly the same,” Rafael said about the promise of the “authorities” to remove the rubble.

By proposing the demolition of tents that are not inhabited, the municipality wants to “wash the face” of neighborhoods, accused Ana (fictitious name), resident in Clarimundo since marriage.

“ They really said to our face that this was just to make a good picture. We do not want to give a good picture to the camera [...]. When they assign us home, we give this good image ", said.

In addition, “the tents are all together with each other, by demolishing one fall all”, he pointed out, recalling that the clusters of Clarimundo and Tardoz of Improsit are enrolled in the Local Housing Strategy (ELH) of Vila Franca de Xira since 2021.

“ We want you to tell us a specific date, because the time of the PRR [Plan of Recovery and Resilience, European funds] is over”, Ana demanded.

“ We are living in unworthy conditions, [...] without water, without light”, he recalled, fearing a “strict winter again”.

Last year, residents had to put tiles, tires and stones on the improvised ceilings, but still the storm forced them to sleep “under a balcony”.

Claiming long-awaited municipal housing, Ana goes directly to the socialist mayor Fernando Paulo Ferreira, who leads the Vila Franca de Xira Chamber: “There are no conditions, nor a bathroom we have for children, children have to bathe in a basin at seven in the morning, to go to school at eight o’clock. It is a case that has no explanation, the president does not really know what it is like to live like that”.

Unlike other residents, who, out of fear or shame, prefer anonymity, Maria de Fátima makes a point of giving face. He has already lost count of the years he spent there and also of the house competitions he ran for. He's never been more than an alternate.

“They already [...] came to see our situation, they say we will be relocated, but they do not say when we are or when we are not. Rats everywhere, bugs everywhere, we go to the handcart water, in winter water comes in everywhere, when it was the storm [...] it was shingles, it was all down, nobody came here to see how we were or how we were not”, he reported.

In Clarimundo since birth, “Rodrigo” (fictitious name) points the finger to the municipality. “The camera just never came here, I’ve lived here for 32 years, I’ve never seen a mayor here,” he lamented.

“It’s just promises,” but “nothing materializes,” while living conditions in both neighborhoods remain “indignate,” he classified.

“It rains everywhere in our homes, I have my children at school, I have no bathroom, to do the needs we go to the country, take a bath with fountain water, in the buckets. In the 21st century, I think this is not a condition for anyone,” he said.