Lisbon City Council Reports No Damages from Canceled Housing Lottery - What Happened?

Lisbon's Affordable Rent Program Faces Backlash After Technical Glitch

The Lisbon City Council has confirmed that none of the 133 families affected by the canceled housing lottery have submitted proof of damages. This comes after a "technical failure" led to the premature drawing of lots on June 16, a day before the scheduled date.

The Incident Unfolded

The 29th edition of the Affordable Rent Program (PRA) lottery, which allocated 133 municipal homes, was conducted ahead of time due to a human error. The results were annulled within 24 hours because the draw did not meet the requirement of being a public act, as mandated by municipal regulations.

Aftermath and Reactions

• A repeat lottery was held on June 27, involving the same pool of 7,362 applicants.
• 19 families responded to the council's request for damage documentation, but none provided evidence of losses.
• A group of 24 affected individuals is preparing legal action, citing a "widespread sense of injustice."

Council's Stance

The council, led by Carlos Moedas (PSD), maintains that the annulment was unavoidable. They emphasized that the initial allocation was not final, as 45% of applications typically fail due to false declarations or withdrawals.

Moving Forward

• An internal inquiry was launched on June 17, with results expected within 30 days.
• Future lotteries will require two people to press the button simultaneously to prevent similar incidents.
• The PS party has called for an external audit to assess the fallout and explore compensation mechanisms.

This situation has sparked a debate on transparency and fairness in Lisbon's housing allocation process.