Residents gathered at Largo do Município in Funchal on Saturday, November 14, to demand urgent action on Madeira's housing crisis. The Plataforma Casas para Viver organized the rally.
The group said the protest answers to no political party. Organizers described it instead as a fight for human rights and the right to housing.
Three Spokespersons Frame the Fight as a Human Rights Issue
Diogo Teixeira, Liliana Valente and Mariana Pires spoke for the platform. They said the gathering brought together residents who face, or have faced, difficulty finding a home, alongside supporters of the cause.
Organizers named the growth of short-term rentals, rising rents, unaffordable costs and the struggle to buy a home as the main pressures behind the crisis.
Housing is a right, speculation is not.
The spokespersons
The spokespersons warned that Madeira is becoming less affordable for the people who live there.
March Aims to Reach the Assembleia Legislativa da Madeira
The platform plans to carry its message to the Assembleia Legislativa da Madeira, the regional parliament. It is demanding concrete answers from the Regional Government and other political leaders.
Organizers argued that public policy keeps favoring speculative interests over the needs of residents. They said this makes lasting solutions hard to reach.
Movement Echoes Protests in Spain and France
The Funchal gathering also voiced solidarity with similar movements across Portugal and in other European countries, naming Spain and France.
Source: jm-madeira.pt
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