The Left Bloc (BE) in Lisbon's City Council has called for an external audit into the recently cancelled lottery for the Affordable Rent Program, highlighting concerns over transparency in public housing allocation.
In a request addressed to Mayor Carlos Moedas, councilor Beatriz Gomes Dias raised several questions regarding the transparency of allocating public and affordable housing in Lisbon. She specifically asked for a detailed listing of all housing allocated during this term, including the allocation regime, applied criteria, and anonymized beneficiary identification.
Gomes Dias also seeks information on the specific reasons leading to the cancellation of the Affordable Rent Program lottery, the measures planned to address identified flaws, and access to the report from the internal inquiry launched by the municipality.
The councilor's request emphasizes the need for greater transparency, independent oversight, and public participation in future public and affordable housing allocation processes.
This development follows the Socialist Party's (PS) earlier demand for an external audit into the lottery process for municipal housing allocation, after the results of a contest were annulled due to non-compliance with regulatory formalities required for public transmission.
The controversy centers around the 29th contest of the Affordable Rent Program (PRA), which was conducted on Monday instead of the scheduled Tuesday. The Lisbon City Council, led by PSD/CDS-PP, clarified that the lottery was annulled because it failed to meet the regulatory formalities for public transmission and the pre-announced date and time.
Housing councilor Filipa Roseta (PSD) has initiated an internal inquiry to ascertain the facts and possible responsibilities, promising that the findings will be made public to ensure transparency and credibility of the process.
A new lottery is set for June 27 at 3:30 PM, covering the same pool of applicants, following the annulment of the inadvertently held Monday lottery.
Despite the internal inquiry, the PS councilors argue that an external audit is essential to restore credibility to the Lisbon City Council, given the serious doubts raised about the transparency and fairness of the lottery procedures.
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