Demonstrators protested against the rise of the cost of living and housing rights in front of the Portuguese parliament in Lisbon on February 25, 2023. PHOTO AFP LISBON - Thousands of people took to the streets of Lisbon and other cities across Portugal on Saturday in protest against soaring rents and house prices at a time when high inflation is making it harder for people to make ends meet.
There is a huge housing crisis today, according to Rita Silva, from the Habita housing group, at the Lisbon protest. Portugal is one of Western Europe's poorest countries, with government data showing that more than 50 percent of workers earned less than 1,000 euro,084 per month last year. The minimum wage is 760 euros.
Since 2015, the rents in Lisbon have risen 65 percent and sale prices have gone up 137 percent in the period, according to figures from Confidencial Imobiliario, which collects data on housing. In the last year, rents increased by 37 percent, more than in Barcelona or Paris, according to another real estate data company, Casafari.
The situation is particularly hard for the young.
The average rent for a one-bedroom flat in Lisbon is around 1,350 euros, according to a study by the housing portal Imovirtual.
The Socialist government announced last month a housing package that, among other measures, ended the Golden Visa scheme and banned new licenses for Airbnb properties, but critics say it is not enough to lower prices in the short term.
At the protest organised by the movement Home to Live and other groups, 35-year-old illustrator Diogo Guerra said he hears stories about people struggling to access housing every day.
He said that people who are homeless are evicted because their house is turned into short-term accommodation for tourists.
According to a study by insurance brokers CIA Landlords, Lisbon is the third-least viable city to live in, because of low wages and high rents. Portugal's current 8.2 percent inflation rate has exacerbated the problem.
READ MORE: Socialists tipped to stay in power as Portugal votes for a majority.
Nuncio Renzi, a sales executive from Italy living in the capital, said that with my salary of higher than the average salary in Lisbon, I cannot afford renting a flat because it's too expensive.