Housing Crisis in Portugal: Expert Warns Demolitions Won't Solve Vulnerabilities Without Market Reform

The recent demolitions of precarious constructions in Loures and Amadora have sparked criticism from housing policy expert Sílvia Jorge. The architect and urban planner, a researcher at the Centre for Innovation in Territory, Urbanism, and Architecture (CiTUA) at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, highlights the systemic issues at play.

"No one builds a shack and lives in such conditions by choice," Jorge asserts, pointing to the broader housing crisis. She emphasizes that "access to the free market is out of reach for many, and public housing is insufficient to meet all needs."

Jorge's critique underscores a growing concern: as long as the housing market continues to price out average incomes, the cycle of precarious living conditions will persist. The situation calls for a reevaluation of housing policies to address the root causes of vulnerability, rather than just its symptoms.