About 1000 families benefit from municipal rent support programme Porto Solidário

The latest edition of Porto Solidário, the Municipal Social Emergency Fund has approved all the admissible applications submitted. The income support programme, now in its 8th edition, covers a total of 615 new households in the city of Porto that are financially supported.

Currently, there are two editions ongoing, and these new beneficiaries, together with the 299 of the previous edition add up to a total of 1000 families that benefit from this support launched by the Municipality of Porto, which help beneficiaries bear costs with permanent housing rents.

This edition of Porto Solidário has had the largest budget allocation ever, totalling over 1.3 million euros. This programme grants beneficiaries a financial support for the monthly payment of the house rent or mortgage, in an average cost of 200 euros per month, for 24 months.

The Porto Solidário programme was established in 2014 and this Social Emergency Fund has already supported 2.336 families; by proposition of Councillor Fernando Paulo, this 12 month support programme was extended to 24 months. Besides the extended deadline to support rent and mortgage costs, the programme also features a 25% reduction of the household effort rate as well as the possibility of beneficiaries applying again if the deadline is about to conclude, and the support is granted from the application date.

The programme was proposed by Rui Moreira during the electoral campaign in 2013. In total, this programme represented an investment by the Municipality of Porto of circa 5.9 million euros, essential to guarantee the right of housing to the most vulnerable households.