Welcome to the Week em Breve, a wrap-up of important Portuguese news to keep you up to date and in the know.
Referendum to ban short-stay holiday lets approved by Lisbon Municipal Assembly
A popular initiative proposing a ban on short-term holiday rentals in residential buildings was voted through the Municipal Assembly of Lisbon on Tuesday, per local outlets. Promoted by the Housing Referendum Movement (MRH) and signed by over 6,000 Lisbon residents, the initiative seeks to cancel all Alojamento Local (AL) licenses that are registered in buildings zoned for residential use. Proponents of the initiative argue that such measures could free up around 20,000 properties for long-term habitation in the midst of Lisbon’s ongoing housing crisis, while its opponents warn a ban would only hurt the city’s tourism industry. Now passed as a referendum through the Assembly, the initiative will move on to the Constitutional Court for approval of the ballot measures. If approved, a public vote could be taken as early as next spring.
Dozens of security cameras to be installed in January
Observador reports that there will be a sharp increase in video surveillance around some of Lisbon’s busiest nightlife hubs in the new year. In January, 30 cameras will be installed in the Cais do Sodre neighborhood and 32 more around Campo das Cebolas. In July, 17 cameras are expected to appear around Restauradores, and another 20 in Ribeira das Naus. These additions will triple the number of security cameras currently in Lisbon, all 33 of which are installed in and around Bairro Alto.
Public housing institute accused of not ordering gas inspections since 2007
Tenants in the East Lisbon neighborhood of Lóios have formally accused the Institute of Housing and Rehabilitation (IHRU) of failing to order a single gas inspection for their public housing properties since 2007, the year the institute was founded. The IHRU is required by law to carry out “periodical” gas inspections of the housing units under their control. Speaking to the Lusa News Agency, Tenants Commission member João Santos claimed a similar complaint was lodged in 2017, resulting in an inspection of only the central columns of housing complexes, not the apartments themselves.
Officers involved in the killing of Odair Moniz to be transferred
Two PSP police officers under investigation for the October killing of Odair Moniz are being transferred to other jurisdictions, according to Expresso. Odair Moniz, 43, was shot and killed by the police in Amadora on 21 October, igniting a string of protests across Lisbon. Key details of the confrontation remain unclear. While the official PSP statement claims that Moniz was brandishing a weapon, Expresso reports that the officer who shot Moniz described him as unarmed to Judicial Police officers on the night of the killing. This officer has been charged with simple murder and remains on psychological leave, but will be transferred to another jurisdiction upon returning to service. The other officer present has already been relocated. It is unknown if these officers will continue to work in the field, or be given office positions until the investigation is complete.
AIMA denies over 100,000 residency applications
The Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA), the universally beloved and famously efficient successor to SEF, is starting to work through its backlog of over 400,000 residency applications after months of stagnation. This week, Minister of the Presidency Leitão Amaro told reporters that around 100,000 of the applications, many of which date back more than six months, have been rejected. Although a complete breakdown of the reasons for these rejections was not provided, Amaro later suggested that many of the applications in the backlog may have been submitted by individuals who have already left Portugal, rendering them “obsolete.” Another 113,000 applications are currently being processed.
