Housing Institute acknowledges that it is unable to respond

The Housing and Urban Rehabilitation Institute (IHRU) recognizes that it is unable to respond to the more than 50,000 beneficiaries of the Extraordinary Rent Support Program (PAER) with the situation unresolved.

Speaking to Lusa at the end of a hearing at the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees of the Assembly of the Republic, the president of the IHRU admitted the "extremely serious" situation that has been denounced by housing defense movements.

"People started receiving without knowing how and they also stopped receiving without knowing why," summarized António Benjamim Costa Pereira.

Movements like Porta a Porta have criticized the IHRU's lack of response, speaking of delays of "more than a year," which lead "several families across the country to despair."

Speaking to Lusa, André Escoval, spokesperson for Porta a Porta, considered the "situation very serious", noting that the IHRU "has been brutally unable to respond to the various programs".

According to reports, communication channels with the IHRU (telephone and internet) "are inaccessible" and only direct contact with the service centers - which only exist in Lisbon and Porto - can solve a problem that is nationwide.

"Even in Lisbon, there is only one technical assistant providing assistance, with around 20 appointments per day, for the hundreds and hundreds of people who crowd the doors of this public service every day," explains Escoval, demanding that the IHRU and the Government reinforce the response and allocate the necessary resources.

"We are trying to alleviate the situation with great effort, with a Herculean effort on the part of our services, both in Porto and in Lisbon," responds Costa Pereira, acknowledging that "people are often upset and rightly so" and "complaints books are flooding in."

For the "very serious problem", Costa Pereira blames PAER itself, in which the beneficiary is generated automatically, based on defined criteria.

"But then, if there is any inconsistency, he doesn't receive it, the payment is suspended and he has to come and clarify this inconsistency," he explained, detailing that, of the 129 thousand beneficiaries currently existing, "50 thousand or so" are in this situation.

Now, "this brings many people to IHRU", which has only two service locations, in Lisbon and Porto.

"We're always full, it's a fact," he noted, adding that the institute is "trying to improve" by creating other mechanisms to reach people.

"The problem is not with the service, the problem is with the program, which was poorly designed, poorly executed, and creates these problems," emphasizes the president of IHRU.

"Systems were supposed to be interoperable, and that would be a wonderful world. The problem is, there isn't. Data arrives late, and we can't keep up with people, and then all these problems arise," he notes.

This is, therefore, a fundamental problem with the program, which "is not even the responsibility of the IHRU", he noted, reporting that the Government "is perfectly aware of this" and "is working on changing" the program, of which "one of these days a new version will come out".

André Escoval agrees that PAER is a "poorly formulated program", adding that Porta a Porta admits carrying out public initiatives to denounce the situation, namely at the IHRU facilities.

The Housing and Urban Rehabilitation Institute (IHRU) recognizes that it is unable to respond to the more than 50,000 beneficiaries of the Extraordinary Rent Support Program (PAER) with the situation unresolved.

Speaking to Lusa at the end of a hearing at the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees of the Assembly of the Republic, the president of the IHRU admitted the "extremely serious" situation that has been denounced by housing defense movements.

"People started receiving without knowing how and they also stopped receiving without knowing why," summarized António Benjamim Costa Pereira.

Movements like Porta a Porta have criticized the IHRU's lack of response, speaking of delays of "more than a year," which lead "several families across the country to despair."

Speaking to Lusa, André Escoval, spokesperson for Porta a Porta, considered the "situation very serious", noting that the IHRU "has been brutally unable to respond to the various programs".

According to reports, communication channels with the IHRU (telephone and internet) "are inaccessible" and only direct contact with the service centers - which only exist in Lisbon and Porto - can solve a problem that is nationwide.

"Even in Lisbon, there is only one technical assistant providing assistance, with around 20 appointments per day, for the hundreds and hundreds of people who crowd the doors of this public service every day," explains Escoval, demanding that the IHRU and the Government reinforce the response and allocate the necessary resources.

"We are trying to alleviate the situation with great effort, with a Herculean effort on the part of our services, both in Porto and in Lisbon," responds Costa Pereira, acknowledging that "people are often upset and rightly so" and "complaints books are flooding in."

For the "very serious problem", Costa Pereira blames PAER itself, in which the beneficiary is generated automatically, based on defined criteria.

"But then, if there is any inconsistency, he doesn't receive it, the payment is suspended and he has to come and clarify this inconsistency," he explained, detailing that, of the 129 thousand beneficiaries currently existing, "50 thousand or so" are in this situation.

Now, "this brings many people to IHRU", which has only two service locations, in Lisbon and Porto.

"We're always full, it's a fact," he noted, adding that the institute is "trying to improve" by creating other mechanisms to reach people.

"The problem is not with the service, the problem is with the program, which was poorly designed, poorly executed, and creates these problems," emphasizes the president of IHRU.

"Systems were supposed to be interoperable, and that would be a wonderful world. The problem is, there isn't. Data arrives late, and we can't keep up with people, and then all these problems arise," he notes.

This is, therefore, a fundamental problem with the program, which "is not even the responsibility of the IHRU", he noted, reporting that the Government "is perfectly aware of this" and "is working on changing" the program, of which "one of these days a new version will come out".

André Escoval agrees that PAER is a "poorly formulated program", adding that Porta a Porta admits carrying out public initiatives to denounce the situation, namely at the IHRU facilities.

The Housing and Urban Rehabilitation Institute (IHRU) recognizes that it is unable to respond to the more than 50,000 beneficiaries of the Extraordinary Rent Support Program (PAER) with the situation unresolved.

Speaking to Lusa at the end of a hearing at the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees of the Assembly of the Republic, the president of the IHRU admitted the "extremely serious" situation that has been denounced by housing defense movements.

"People started receiving without knowing how and they also stopped receiving without knowing why," summarized António Benjamim Costa Pereira.

Movements like Porta a Porta have criticized the IHRU's lack of response, speaking of delays of "more than a year," which lead "several families across the country to despair."

Speaking to Lusa, André Escoval, spokesperson for Porta a Porta, considered the "situation very serious", noting that the IHRU "has been brutally unable to respond to the various programs".

According to reports, communication channels with the IHRU (telephone and internet) "are inaccessible" and only direct contact with the service centers - which only exist in Lisbon and Porto - can solve a problem that is nationwide.

"Even in Lisbon, there is only one technical assistant providing assistance, with around 20 appointments per day, for the hundreds and hundreds of people who crowd the doors of this public service every day," explains Escoval, demanding that the IHRU and the Government reinforce the response and allocate the necessary resources.

"We are trying to alleviate the situation with great effort, with a Herculean effort on the part of our services, both in Porto and in Lisbon," responds Costa Pereira, acknowledging that "people are often upset and rightly so" and "complaints books are flooding in."

For the "very serious problem", Costa Pereira blames PAER itself, in which the beneficiary is generated automatically, based on defined criteria.

"But then, if there is any inconsistency, he doesn't receive it, the payment is suspended and he has to come and clarify this inconsistency," he explained, detailing that, of the 129 thousand beneficiaries currently existing, "50 thousand or so" are in this situation.

Now, "this brings many people to IHRU", which has only two service locations, in Lisbon and Porto.

"We're always full, it's a fact," he noted, adding that the institute is "trying to improve" by creating other mechanisms to reach people.

"The problem is not with the service, the problem is with the program, which was poorly designed, poorly executed, and creates these problems," emphasizes the president of IHRU.

"Systems were supposed to be interoperable, and that would be a wonderful world. The problem is, there isn't. Data arrives late, and we can't keep up with people, and then all these problems arise," he notes.

This is, therefore, a fundamental problem with the program, which "is not even the responsibility of the IHRU", he noted, reporting that the Government "is perfectly aware of this" and "is working on changing" the program, of which "one of these days a new version will come out".

André Escoval agrees that PAER is a "poorly formulated program", adding that Porta a Porta admits carrying out public initiatives to denounce the situation, namely at the IHRU facilities.