Bragança reinforces emergency resettlement in municipal social housing
Committed to making efforts for the requalification of the social housing stock, to promote an improvement in the living conditions of the neediest families, and investing in social policies, such as access to decent housing, the Municipality of Bragança reinforces emergency resettlement with the allocation of housing units to seven families in the municipality, at the beginning of July.
This is a social response that results from an in-depth socio-economic study and the consultation of public institutions operating in the social field, with a view to providing a swift and adequate response to the needs of families in situations of serious economic need.
Hernâni Dias, Mayor of Bragança, explains: “in recent years, the Municipality has been making efforts to improve the living conditions of the most needy families in the municipality. The requalification of the social housing stock, the investment in the elaboration of the Local Housing Strategy and the creation of the Municipal Emergency Fund to Support Lease for Housing (established in the context of the COVID pandemic – 19 and in force since July 2020) are measures that aim to provide an adequate response to the needs of families and people in serious situations of vulnerability and social emergency”.
After the completion of important improvement works in the social housing units, the Municipality of Bragança proceeds, therefore, to the emergency relocation in municipal social housing with the signing of lease contracts supported by seven families: three in T2 typology properties, three in T3 and one in T4, in Bairro Social da Coxa and Bairro Social da Mãe d’Água.
It should be noted that this resettlement phase involves four single-parent families, two nuclear families without children and one nuclear family with children. This housing support measure covers ten children and young people aged between 12 months and 19 years, six of whom have chronic illness from an early age and ten adults aged between 36 and 81 years old, of whom nine are chronically ill with regular medical care.
In addition to the vulnerability in the field of health, it is important to mention that these families subsist with limited economic resources, observed in the low values of pensions (disability and old age), social benefits (Social Insertion Income and Social Benefit for Inclusion), as well as, in the labor instability present in these households.
“Despite the strong commitment to measures and programs to support access to housing, exceptional situations and evident social emergencies persist (aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic) that must be addressed quickly and in accordance with the properties available in social housing at every moment”, adds the Mayor, Hernâni Dias.
