The Portuguese initiative could force property owners to give them to the state.

In March 2023, it was reported that the Lula government has created a project that sets a deadline for homeowners to use their properties, otherwise they will have to rent them to the state. However, this does not correspond to reality. This measure is actually part of the housing package presented by the Portuguese government, which is still under discussion and has not been implemented. The Brazilian government did not develop a project similar to Portugal's.

Posts with false content have racked up 1,700 reposts on Facebook, 1,800 likes on Instagram and 6,500 views on Tik Tok this week, and have also been shared via WhatsApp, where reach is unknown. Owners of vacant homes will be given a deadline to use the property [in Lula's government]. Social media is appropriating the Lula government's false measure that sets a deadline for homeowners to use their properties or be required to rent them to the government. In fact, it is a Portuguese government measure that is part of a housing package that is under public consultation until March 13. The Ministry of Urban Development told Aos Fatos that there are no social housing projects similar to what is being circulated on social media or the Portuguese program.

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The measure, known as "forced renting," is part of the Portuguese government's "More Housing" package, which aims to address the crisis in the country's real estate market. Thus, owners of vacant properties may be required to rent them to the government, which will only happen after the 100-day deadline has passed. Vacation homes, housing for immigrants, or people in health, professional, or educational purposes are not within the scope of this measure. Portuguese legislation has already foreseen a situation of forced leasing from 2019 through the revision of the Land Use Legal Regime Law. The intent was to reimburse municipalities for the cost of mandatory work performed on private buildings, which is different from the current proposal. Source.

The materials refer to an article published on the O Nortão website on February 27, which is no longer available, and which did not specify the country in which the measure could be applied. The text was reprinted on the website of the Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Negócios, published seven days earlier, and made clear that it was a measure that could be applied in Portugal.