Portuguese Government to Pay Rent Support to 129,642 Tenants in September
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing has confirmed that payments for the Extraordinary Rent Support Program (PAER) will be issued to 129,642 tenants in September. According to a statement from the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU), these payments will include retroactive amounts covering the period from January 2025. This measure is intended to provide financial relief to tenants facing high rental costs in the current market.
However, the government also reported significant administrative issues with the program. Payments for 58,659 applicants have been suspended due to data inconsistencies found during the verification process. These beneficiaries are being notified and instructed to regularize their information through the IHRU's Citizen Consultation Portal to resolve the issues and receive the support funds. The high number of suspensions points to ongoing challenges in the program's execution.
These operational difficulties have drawn criticism from the Provedoria de Justiça, Portugal's Ombudsman, which recently sent an official letter to the Secretary of State for Housing. The letter called for an urgent review of the PAER program, citing a 'significant volume of complaints' that indicate 'serious irregularities.' The Ombudsman's investigation concluded that the legal framework for the program was designed without adequate consideration for citizens' fundamental rights, such as the right to information and notification of administrative decisions.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing acknowledged the program's shortcomings, stating that the PAER, created by the previous government in 2023, was 'poorly designed.' The Ministry identified the core issue as a lack of interoperability between the five different government bodies whose data is used for verification: IHRU, the Tax Authority, Social Security, the General Retirement Fund, and the Foundation for Science and Technology. This has led to significant delays and errors in payment processing.
The current government has announced its intention to review and reform the program 'shortly' to ensure its proper operationalization. The Ombudsman's report detailed numerous complaints from citizens who have been unable to get clear information and have been passed from one agency to another. The report also noted that the IT platforms used are 'fragile and inadequate,' contributing to the severe delays. The goal of the upcoming review is to address these systemic failures and create a more efficient and reliable system for delivering rental support.
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