'Housing crisis? There is no one solution, there is a toolkit.'

How to solve the housing crisis in Portugal?

How to increase the supply of housing on the market that can be bought or rented by the middle class? The answers to these questions are not simple, and the government, for example, is also trying to do its part through the Mais Habitação program.

According to Georges Botha, president of the Association of Real Estate Consulting and Appraisal Companies (ACAI), there is not "only one solution" on the table, but "a set of tools". "The Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and the 1º Direito program will not solve the issue of affordable rent or middle-class housing. They are, of course, a very important contribution and money that will be welcome, but what else.... In Spain, a solution has been found in which the state concludes''partnerships with the private sector, for example. A construction company can enter into such partnerships, they will be interested in investing, it has to happen quickly, without delays. There is not just one solution, it is a set of tools that will help facilitate better and faster solutions to solve these problems," he says in an interview with idealista/news.

The president of ACAI

said.

who is also managing partner of consulting firm B. Prime, "all countries are facing housing challenges," and they are acting. "There's not just one solution [to the housing crisis], it's a set of tools that will help facilitate better and faster solutions to address these problems.

"

One possible solution,''listed by Georges Botha, as well as other industry participants, is related to the development of the cooperative model and the industrialization of construction. "These are all contributions, that's why I said it's a set of tools, and there is no miraculous solution, but many solutions, because in housing there are different problems that are solved in different ways. "

Whether to rent or own a home

The representative recalls that a few years ago many people were living as renters in homes rented out by insurance companies, pension funds and Social Security, for example, and that this phenomenon has disappeared: 'Could these organizations, which continue to have the financial resources, continue to invest if they had some guarantee of return''money and a legal guarantee that those rents will be paid and that the rules won't change every year when the state budget is made? Maybe they would be interested. "

There are "a lot of solutions to explore," he believes. "People don't remember, but there was the trauma of the 40-year rent freeze that caused a lot of market participants to leave, and that's an issue that still hasn't been resolved. There are many people who, because of their advanced age, low income or any restrictions, are still not updating their rents to normal values. In other words, landlords are performing a social action function instead of being the government that is obliged to do so,' concludes''he.

Fred immersed himself in journalism 20 years ago

i was the first to join idealista/news in Portugal in late 2010. In his journey, he has delved into the study of real estate, taking on the challenge of writing about the sector with dedication, determination and rigor. And, of course, always with a smile. Always.