The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing in Portugal, Pedro Nuno Santos, has revealed that the possibility of extending the period for granting loans by the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) is being studied. Even so, he has also stated that there should not be an extension of the moratorium that has been created for rental payments, in order to not persecute landlords.
For the time being, and in the words of the MP, quoted by the Portuguese digital newspaper ECO, "it is not justified" to take additional measures. However, and in view of the "set of measures that have been taken, such as the prohibition of evictions and the suspension of the termination of lease agreements", the MP admits that the government is "studying the possibility of extending the measures for some more time to ensure stability in this period".
Regarding the postponement of rental payments, the measures will be different. Pedro Nuno Santos considers that the "delaying payments is not the best solution", explaining that "if tenants resort to the support from the IHRU, then they will not be late in paying landlords. We don't want to prejudice the possibility of late payment of rental fees, but we want it to be done through the IHRU", he stressed.
"We also have landlords with financial difficulties. On the other hand, we need to have a rental market when the crisis is over and more than anything, we need property owners to have confidence" to put their homes on the market, since "there is no public housing" to meet all needs, the MP said, according to Jornal de Negócios. He also assured that the government is prepared "to take other measures if the situation gets out of hand", as everything is being assessed "week by week".
This possibility had already been mentiond by the Secretary of State for Housing, Ana Pinho, in a recent interview with idealista/news. She acknowledged that we are in a "new situation for everyone, that developments are daily" and that "at all times other measures can be taken that are considered necessary". She also added that "this is an assessment that is being made on a continuous basis, every day, taking into account not only the health situation, but also the economy itself and the social needs that arise from it," she argued.
According to Ana Pinho, the measures announced regarding rent are not part of a "closed package" and "several measures may still be integrated, but they will always be adjusted to not only the evolution of the disease itself and of the economy, but also of the society".
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