The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity revealed today that the Government of the Azores "has already helped 1,059 families residing in the municipality of Ponta Delgada under several housing support measures during the current legislative period, which represents an investment amounting to about 10 million Euros."

"Under the ‘Families with Future’ programme, the Region has invested more than four million Euros, supporting 572 families in several through various forms, namely with the lease of property for subletting and the lease scheme with purchase option and lease incentive," said Andreia Cardoso. The government official spoke during a visit to the rehabilitation works of the regional housing developments in the villages of São Roque and Ginetes.

With regard to housing recovery and rehabilitation, the Regional Secretary stressed that a total of "326 houses are under renovation, which corresponds to the same number of families that are being helped by this programme. These interventions represent an investment of about 3.4 million Euros."

As for the Region's social housing stock, Andreia Cardoso pointed out that the Government has planned investments over 400 thousand Euros for Ponta Delgada by the end of the current legislative period.

The ongoing interventions in São Roque and Ginetes fall within the recovery and rehabilitation measures for the housing developments of the Regional Directorate for Housing. They included three works in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, involving an investment of nearly 230 thousand Euros.

In the context of the support programme for the recovery of degraded housing, Andreia Cardoso followed up the works for the improvement of the sanitary facilities in some houses located in the village of Ginetes.

"We have established a partnership with Ginetes Youth Association, through the signing a cooperation protocol in the amount of 40 thousand Euros," said Andreia Cardoso. In this regard, the government official stressed that "the Regional Secretariat, through Regional Directorate for Housing, has a long practice of establishing partnerships with municipal authorities and charitable organisations for the rehabilitation of the regional public and private housing stock, especially when there are needy families with elderly members, children or members with multiple disabilities."