Independent Councillor Jorge Afonso Freitas has criticized the confirmation of a loss of 316 homes in Madeira, resulting from the reprogramming of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
According to the councillor, the target for constructing affordable housing was reduced from 1,121 to 805 units, a decrease of approximately 28.2%. Freitas views this loss as a missed opportunity to address the region's housing crisis, impacting families and investment.
Freitas pointed out that the limitations were not solely urbanistic but also financial, administrative, and related to execution capacity. He advocates for a strategic revision of the Municipal Master Plan (PDM) integrated into a comprehensive public housing policy, with more available land, simplified licensing, and incentives for urban rehabilitation.
The councillor calls for Madeira to prepare to capture new European funds for affordable housing and to correct its course with a more ambitious policy, combining funds, public and private investment, and a strategic review of territorial management instruments.
