The Funchal City Council (CMF) Socialist Party councilor questioned the PSD/CDS executive at last week’s city council meeting about the promised revision of the municipal regulation on Local Accommodation (AL).
According to a statement, Rui Caetano warned of the provisional suspension of new AL registrations, with a maximum duration of six months (a measure that was taken during the controversy with the licensing of local accommodation in a cooperative housing complex), which ends at the beginning of March. As such, he insists on the need for the Executive to report on the state of play in relation to the revision of the Regulation, in particular whether the study on containment areas and pressure is already completed or still in the preparation phase, and if it will be submitted before the end of the suspension period.
The socialist councilman stressed the importance of not allowing this deadline to expire without an updated regulatory framework, “otherwise the municipality will be left again exposed to the opening of new Local Accommodation registrations without the regulation and the necessary control, jeopardising the right to housing and the quality of life of residents in Funchal.”
In this context, Rui Caetano also wanted to know from the executive at what point the known case related to the ‘Cortel’ Cooperative. The socialist questioned the municipality if the support allocated has already been returned, and in relation to which chamber deliberated the extinction of tax benefits, including exemptions and reductions in municipal taxes granted under the housing scheme, controlled costs, for more than 60 thousand euros. Responding, the President of the City Council informed that he will report these clarifications in next week’s meeting.
On a different subject, the councillor wanted to discuss the review and amendment of the Tourist Tax regulation, whose foreseeable increase in revenue is estimated to be around 14 million euros. Rui Caetano argued that these funds “must be translated into an effective redistribution in the benefit of the people of Funchal, especially reinforcing support initiatives to struggling families.”
Councillor Caetano also pointed out that family support is only set to rise by 1.2%, which is below the inflation rate and stands in stark contrast to the 3.51% hike in water and solid waste collection fees. This increase is being imposed on Funchal despite residents facing low purchasing power, housing access challenges, and the overall rising cost of living.
Given this reality, the PS councilor emphasized that the growth of municipal revenue, especially when driven by tourism, should be used to reduce the impacts of tourism on the city and promote unity, placing the people and families of Funchal at the heart of policy decisions.
As one DN reader succinctly put it: AL, landlords benefit, housing for Madeirans? Zero.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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