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For all Ukrainians who need help and for all those who want to help, the municipality has activated a telephone line 800 910 111 and the email address sosucrania@cm-lisboa.pt, indicated the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (PSD), at a joint press conference with the ambassador of Ukraine, Inna Ohnivets.
“Lisbon is really with Kiev, with Ukraine, with the Ukrainian people”, said Carlos Moedas, referring that the feeling of solidarity “is so strong”. “With the heart of Lisboners, we want to help in everything that is necessary.”
The solidarity plan of the city of Lisbon, centralized in the City Council and which includes the 24 Lisbon parish councils, is divided into two phases, in which the first involves “providing immediate support in terms of food, accommodation, clothing, medication and psychosocial support” to Ukrainians stranded in the Portuguese capital, estimated to be around 50.
The second phase, implemented in coordination with the Ukrainian Embassy in Portugal, provides for the construction of "an emergency reception centre for refugees in a sports hall at the Lisbon Municipal Police headquarters", in the Praça de Espanha area.
Finding solutions
Through the creation of a mission team, under the auspices of the director of the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Lisbon, Margarida Castro Martins, the Portuguese capital reaffirms itself as “an open city” by taking on the mission of helping the Ukrainian people, with the commitment to “find solutions for everyone”, from those who were stranded to those who should arrive as refugees.
The mayor of Lisbon stressed the need to anticipate the reception of Ukrainian refugees: “We are the capital of the country, we are the place where many will arrive and we have to be prepared before they arrive”.
Donations
The donations will be organised by the Lisbon City Council, and can be delivered to the Paços do Concelho building, said Carlos Moedas, praising the solidarity of Lisboners, in which he received “many phone calls” from people willing to receive Ukrainian families in their homes.
In addition to this immediate help, the municipality will build a long-term structural response for the integration of Ukrainians, ensuring, for now, the reception of Ukrainian children in the city's schools.
“We cannot fail in this mission”, declared the mayor of Lisbon.
Regarding the emergency reception centre for refugees from Ukraine, the mayor said that this response has the direct involvement of the Red Cross.
As for food support, the municipal cafeteria of Monsanto has opened its doors to help Ukrainian citizens in need.
Without having concluded the identification of Ukrainians in need of support, the mayor of Lisbon said that “there may be around 50 people who are in Portugal and who cannot, at the moment, return to Ukraine”.
Ukraine's ambassador to Portugal, Inna Ohnivets, thanked the Lisbon Chamber for the initiative of support, for estimating that Ukrainian refugees can reach Portugal, remembering that her country continues to fight "against the Russian aggressor", with "fierce resistance".
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Latest estimates from the EU expect up to 7 million Ukrainian refugees.
Portugal is full of empty houses and apartments that are used for short term Airbnb rentals.
I suggest the immediate sequester of all short term rental properties for the use of Refugees.
In times of war anyone that is not using their property as their main home should have it seized to house refugees,.
There you go,I have opened the debate.
By James from Algarve on 01 Mar 2022, 08:22
I fully support your initiative, James! Europe is in a crisis situation and all countries should urge their people to open their hearts and homes to those who are fleeing for their lives, with only a few possessions. Any spare room, any apartment, any house would help in providing shelter until further arrangements can be made.
By Annie from Algarve on 01 Mar 2022, 11:39
James,
How would you like if you had a business and the goverment dictated on how you should run your business. Why go after the small guy only, why not seize hotels, restaurants and supermarkets to feed the refuges. Let's kill the Hospitality industry and to aid the refugees and all the lost jobs that follow, the impact on the tourist industry that Portugal depends on.
Let's go one step further, if residents have a spare room that is not used, would you want government to temporary seize that unused bedroom until the crises settles?
All that we can do right now is volunteer, contribute financially as I have done and will continue to do so. The war in Ukraine changed our world security, especially Europe, Democracy and Humanity as a Whole.
There is no easy fix to this crisis on the World stage.
Let's start a conversation on how we can personally help Ukraine, thru Volunteer, food drives, donate money if one can to Ukrainian charities and yes housing, many vacant homes that no one wants, lets fix these homes and shelter the Ukrainian refuges.
Let's Unite and take some kind of action for the People of Ukraine.
Thank you
John
If you wish to donate funds
By john M RIBEIRO from USA on 01 Mar 2022, 13:53
@James @Anne.... democratic free people's hard earned property and wealth should NEVER be sequestered by governments... if these people want to be generous and donate, help, offer assistance, it is up to them and their good will and should NEVER be "sequestered"... the same as what Putin is trying to do in the Ukraine. i.e. sequester the country to follow his will. A bit, actually, a lot of hypocrisy by both of you... shame on you!
By E. Medeiros from Lisbon on 01 Mar 2022, 17:07
Houses are for living in. airbnb has gutted the housing market and destroyed the long term rental market.
So all about term properties should be sequestered for the housing of refugees.
I have no time for greedy inconsiderate landlords.
By James from Algarve on 02 Mar 2022, 11:04
@E.Medeiros. If we wait for spontaneous generosity, we´ll have a long wait. I´ve spent 30 years, on and off, in the Algarve and am having trouble recollecting acts of genuine local warmth. That myth is tourist jargon. I hope it´s better in other regions.
By Steve from Algarve on 02 Mar 2022, 13:52
@james. Clearly you have a "beef" with short-term rental properties for some reason but only you would know. The state is largest landlord of dilapidated and abandoned buildings that can easily house, not only Ukrainian refugees but also working families once renovated. Before Airbnb and rent reform, 1 out of 4 buildings in Lisbon was abandoned and in ruins simply because of 60 year rent control. How can a landlord maintain a building receiving 20 euros per month per apartment??! Lisbon was a bad "filme noir", old grey and decrypted. Thanks in part to short-term rental properties, buildings are being renovated and recovered due to private investment in the last few years. In a free democratic country, owners should be able to manage their properties without being molested by the government or else owners will "pick up their marbles and decide to play elsewhere" and Lisbon and other cities can return to the days of a bad "filme Noir". That said, I also believe that short-term rental should be regulated and that neighbourhoods should not exceed more then 20% for short-term rentals. The main issue in Portugal is the excessive taxation on the middle class by the government, leaving its citizens with little net income (after taxation) and a dreadful situation that the more one works and therefore the more one makes the more tax the poor individual has to pay. There is little incentive in Portugal to work more as the additional earnings goes disproportionally to the government. Less taxation means more money to the people and therefore increasing their buying power to be able to better afford their own housing.
By E. Medeiros from Lisbon on 03 Mar 2022, 16:48
We have a large property in Óbidos...and Ukraine refugees seeking temporary accommodation... I think we could accommodate 2. Families.
By Elaine Coles from Lisbon on 03 Mar 2022, 20:12
James,
I am a real estate investor here in the United States, I have looked into investing in Portugal real estate market, but it is not feasible to do so. The return on investment is very low on rental properties, rich landlords, I wish your statements were true but there not. Rents in Portugal do not cover the mortgage even with 10 to 20% down payment and on top the high tax rate on rental income it's discouraging. Real estate is very local, here in the USA it's very lucrative in Portugal it's not. Real estate is an investment as equities in world markets are. When you invest in stocks, forex, futures , commodities, don't you want these equities to go up in price or if you short a stock aren't you making money on the stock loosing money, GREED comes into play. How you plan to invest is your decision, when we invest, no matter how large or small the Capital may be, we always want the highest return on equity. So James before you post things know the facts before hand.
By john M RIBEIRO from USA on 04 Mar 2022, 13:15
Mr American estate agent thanknyou for your lecture.However I live here I see the prices charged by the teng airbnb landlords.I also see how many properties are short term airbnb properties.
We are on the verge of WW3 and millions are fleeing for their lives.
Portugal is able to offer hosibg to hundreds of thousands by sequesyering these short term holiday rental properties.
Have a nice day
By James from Algarve on 05 Mar 2022, 09:05
@James @John... As I several properties here in Lisbon, I know the numbers quite well. For long-term rental, you can expect to make no more then 3% - 4% gross annual yield (before income taxes, property tax, insurance, maintenance). A yield that at the moment is well below inflation. For Short-term rentals, the annual gross yield is 8% - 10% (before taxes, utilities, insurance, annual property tax and maintenance). A renovated 85 sq metre apartment in central Lisbon will cost aproximately 325K euros. Long term rent per month will be no more than 1100 euros... which is a huge amount when average gross salary here is around 1500 gross per month . In anywise, this 1100 euros per month will yield gross 3.3% before expenses and taxes. Conversely, the short-term rental, calculation would be 135 euros per night X 75% occupancy, which would mean an annual gross yield of 10.8% gross... net after expense, taxes, etc... it would be around a 7% net yield. It should be noted that the short-term rental business model adds more to the economy and employment through, cleaning services, more money spent on maintenance, more taxes collected such as the 2 euro collection per night tax, etc... I really do not understand Jame's issue with short-term rentals?? As I mentioned prior on my previous post on this debate, the issue is over taxation on the middle class and businesses here in Portugal that does not allow for higher disposable income to the people. There should be a flat tax and not a progressive tax here in Portugal... the more one works, the more you take home so that you buy and invest more.
By E. Medeiros from Lisbon on 06 Mar 2022, 10:48