The Socialist Party of Madeira harshly criticized the Funchal City Council for its inaction in executing social housing programs, highlighting that around 28 million euros, secured for this purpose, remained unutilized for essential projects benefiting the most disadvantaged population.
The genesis of the projects
According to Rui Caetano, the PS candidate for the presidency of the municipality, five projects were outlined that would address the housing needs of more than 500 people. All files were funded by the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with signed protocols, leaving only the public tenders and the start of the works to be initiated.
Impact on the community
So far, only 33 apartments have been completed in the parish of Nazaré, far from the 202 originally planned. The stagnation of the projects has further exacerbated the waiting lists, which at the municipal company Sociohabitafunchal exceed two thousand applications. Additionally, above-average prices are pressuring middle-class families and young people to seek solutions in other municipalities or abroad.
Silence of the executive
Among the most emblematic cases is the former neighborhood of Penha de França, where the construction of 51 housing units and a community center was never launched. So far, the PSD/CDS executive remains silent in the face of the PS accusations, without providing justifications for the loss of funds or a timeline for resuming the projects.
