CHEGA's municipal group in the Funchal Municipal Assembly has denounced the council's 6th budget amendment as a "real budget farce". The proposal allocates 500,000 euros to housing and affordable rent.
According to the party, the council's president publicly stated that affordable rent will not start until February 2027, meaning the money will not be used in 2026. Group leader Maria do Carmo Gomes said the proposal asked councillors to approve "phantom money".
CHEGA also alleges the funds were found by cutting support for older residents' mobility, professional training, the municipal kennel and urban cleaning. It further points to arithmetic discrepancies, including a 4.35 million euro gap in the budget tables. These are the opposition's claims; the source contains no council response.