“It was clear that he doesn’t like me”: Almada and IHRU don’t understand each other

President of the institute speaks of a “push for central administration”, Inês de Medeiros has documents that prove otherwise.

The president of the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (THE GAME) has “the feeling” that the Almada City Council tried to “push it towards the central administration” solving the problem of illegal neighborhoods of Penajoia and the fox, considering that it is “a political problem” installed in the municipality’s territory.

António Benjamim Pereira was speaking at a hearing at the Infrastructure, Mobility and Housing Commission, following a request from Chega, about housing units built illegally on State land belonging to the IHRU.

The official explained that the occupation of a territory measuring around 170 thousand square meters would have started in 2019, with just over a dozen houses, arguing that, at the time, there was an “opportune moment” to resolve the situation — which, because it was not interrupted, “allowed itself to proliferate”.

According to the president of the IHRU, there will currently be close to a thousand buildings in the two neighborhoods, where they will live between 2,500 and 3,000 people.

The leader stressed that the problem must have a “multidisciplinary” approach and considered “not be fair” assigning the institute, in isolation, responsibility for managing the process, also pointing out responsibilities to the municipality, both in the area of ​​housing and in combating illegal construction — including the possibility of demolition.

Inês de Medeiros reacts

Hours later, the president of the Almada City Council, Inês de Medeirosassured in Parliament that the municipality “never shied away from his responsibilities regarding the illegal neighborhoods of Penajoia and Raposo

But he highlighted that it is essential that the IHRU and the Government also do not resign from their obligations.

The mayor of the municipality assured that the municipality has documentation what prove yours acting, stating that several notifications were made to the land owner to restore legality and that he even filed a lawsuit for non-compliance.

Inês de Medeiros also criticized a position attributed to the IHRU leader in previous meetings, according to which it would be “normal” for the city hall to take administrative possession of State land to reestablish normality. “I confess that I had never seen a president [de] an institution to say why the city hall does not take administrative possession of our lands”, he declared.

The suggestion of a personal attack remained: “It was clear that the president of the IHRU does not like me“, continued the president of the Almada City Council, who nevertheless remains available to cooperate “within her competences”, although housing policy is “a national problem and must be led by the IHRU and the Government”.