The citizens’ movement that called for the protest fights for the universal right to decent housing.
In Lisbon, dozens of people have been outside the IHRU since dawn to get one of the 20 daily service tickets.
The protest takes place between 7:30 am and 9:30 am and demands a service that responds to requests for income support. Letters will be sent to the Secretary of State for Housing and the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing.
“There are only two services in the entire country”
Speaking to RTP, André Escoval, spokesperson for the Porta a Porta Movement, emphasizes that the aim of this protest is to “raise awareness of a national problem”.
“The Government moved forward with the special income support program, which is a national program, and which in recent months was suddenly cut off to tens of thousands of people across the country”he stressed.
Given this cut, the “response channels” are not working. André Escoval denounces that internet or telephone service is non-existent.
In person “there are only two services in the entire country for a problem that is national”, in Lisbon and Porto.
André Escoval warns of the lack of funding at IRHU and points to the lack of solutions in the State Budget for 2026which begins to be discussed in general this Tuesday, in Parliament.
“We need investment and we need a public housing institute with resources and resources”, he added.
“I can’t survive without this help”
In Porto, RTP spoke to Rosa Soares, who had not received support to pay her rent for two months. Unemployed for two months, Rosa Soares receives the minimum income of 247 euros and pays 273.13 euros in rent.
“More water, more light, more medication… I can’t survive without this help”says Rosa Soares, who until September received support of 190.9 euros.
Raquel Ferreira, from Movimento Porta a Porta, highlights to RTP that the objective of this protest is to “give visibility” to the IRHU’s lack of means and resources to respond to the population’s problems.