Zero proposes investment in houses near metro and train stations

A zero association today advocated home recovery and the creation of public housing offer near metro and train stations, a total of 300,000 accessible and efficient fires.

The proposal aims to combat the housing crisis, “without aggravating urban dispersion and car dependence”.

In a document released today, the environmental protection association reported data from the 2021 Census, according to which there are 723,215 vacant accommodation.

“ A reality that contrasts with the data of Banco de Portugal that show that the construction of housing remained about 300,000 fires below the growth of the number of families ", he stressed.

“ In the face of an unsustainable crisis, ZERO advocates the mobilization of vacant houses and the construction of public housing accessible to high-capacity transportation stations, fighting mobility poverty ", reiterated the association.

In defense of a structural response, Zero proposed short-term investment in the Sectoral Housing and Mobility Program.

“ In view of this framework, Zero proposes housing responses, which include the mobilization of 150,000 habitable houses and the rehabilitation of 50,000 fires that would allow us to take advantage of the existing patrimony, while 100,000 new public or cooperative dwellings would extend the affordable supply to a lasting extent”, according to the accounts of the association.

“ To create affordable public housing, the Sectoral Housing and Mobility Program (PSHM), framed by Decree-Law No. 80/2015, should inventory public land within two kilometres of stations and railway and metro nodes in metropolitan areas and other large urban areas, favoring convertible heritage and infrastructureed land ", reads in the document.

The association requires the Strategic Environmental Assessment of this program to begin in 2027.

Out of occupation should remain the National Ecological Reserve and the National Agricultural Reserve, indicated.

Zero also warned of the need to assess the availability of water and the risks of flood, coastal erosion, fire, instability of strands and extreme heat.

“Construction and rehabilitation should preserve permeable soils, essential to food production, biodiversity and water regulation, and integrate natural-based solutions to mitigate heat and floods,” he added.

Zero recommended rule 3-30-300, quoted by the European Commission in the guidelines for climate adaptation, which provides for at least three trees visible from each house, 30% of canopy coverage per district and a quality green space at 300 metres or less.

The association agrees with the aggravated taxation of return fires, which wants to be extended to buildings announced for sale or lease for more than 12 months.

“ The effectiveness of the recovery requires defense guarantees and expeditious and accessible mechanisms to prevent errors in law enforcement, but to prevent abuse, ZERO proposes a penalty of 3% of the tax assets for proven false declarations submitted to delay the recovery or as dilatory expedient”, according to the document.

On the other hand, it is suggested to suspend the worsening of the Municipal Property Tax (IMI) for “owners without means” that make the properties available for rehabilitation and affordable rental.

“ In the selected areas, the prefabricated construction of high density should integrate neighborhoods with services, equipment and green spaces, reserving at least 20% of the new fires to civil servants, according to income, housing needs and proximity to work”, from Zero's perspective.

The association considers that in order to preserve income accessible for the next generations, land and public buildings should remain public and cooperative housing should remain in collective ownership, with income linked to costs, limits to disposal and capital gains and reinvestment of surpluses.

“The government and the municipalities should publish the costs, the number of houses available and how many remain accessible each year,” the organization said.

Zero also expressed support for the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) “Right to Housing! Now and forever”, initiated by the non-profit organization HouseEurope!.

The ICE calls on the European Union to register vacant buildings, faster permits to convert them into housing, priority for non-profit operators, the penalisation of empty houses and the guarantee that no one loses their house because of public-funded works.

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