Lisbon, Jan. 6, 2026 (Lusa) - The Secretary of State for Housing acknowledged on Tuesday that "there is no silver bullet to solve the housing problem," pointing out that it is a "complex problem that must be managed in an integrated manner."
Housing "is a complex problem that requires integrated management. We must work hand in hand on the social, construction and budgetary aspects to solve it," Patrícia Gonçalves Costa said during the presentation of an OECD report in Lisbon focusing on housing.
"It is not the central government that can solve it alone, nor the autonomous regions or local authorities, it is a continuous dialogue," she stressed, pointing out that contributions and suggestions had also been made to the European Commission for the European housing plan.
The Secretary of State also acknowledged that "housing in Portugal today is one of the greatest sources of social concern and a real threat to social cohesion", pointing out that the diagnosis "is based on rapidly growing demand, also driven by the attractiveness of cities and immigration", the effects of which were not taken into account.
Given this scenario, the OECD recommends "unblock public supply and restart the housing engine," she noted.
The minister highlighted a series of measures that are moving forward in this area, stressing that the government is drafting amendments to the general urban building regime, particularly with a view to simplification and flexibility.
Patrícia Gonçalves Costa also said that the government was reviewing the urban rental regime, which "will be completed shortly", and is also working on strengthening public supply with a programme of public-private partnerships.
As for rental support, the minister indicated that "the programmes are under review so that there is no cause for complaint about delays" and to ensure "interoperability between various entities".
Concerning IMI (property tax), the Secretary of State pointed out that there is already "legislation that allows municipalities to increase IMI if houses are vacant", adding that the package of tax incentives that the government has proposed and will present on Friday in parliament includes an IMI exemption for affordable rental contracts.
In its Economic Survey of Portugal, which analyses the country's economic performance, the OECD devotes a chapter to the challenges of the housing crisis, proposing solutions such as "simplifying building permits", "tax reform" and "rebalancing rental regulations".
The increase in IMI, limits on capital gains tax on the sale of homes and higher taxes on "underused" or vacant homes in "areas of high demand" are the main recommendations of the OECD study released today.
MES/ADB // ADB.
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