Thousands of people took to the streets of Lisbon and other Portuguese cities on Saturday to protest against rising rents and house prices at a time when high inflation is making life even harder for people, Reuters reported.

Activists and members of families evacuated to Portugal occupy the lobby at the entrance to the Ministry of HousingPhoto: Armando Franca/AP/Profimedia

“Today there is a huge housing crisis,” said Rita Silva, a representative of the housing rights group Habita, during a protest in Lisbon. “This is a social emergency.”

The minimum wage is 760 euros, the average rent for a one-room apartment is 1,350 euros

Portugal is one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, and government figures show that more than 50% of employed people earned less than €1,000 a month last year. The minimum monthly salary is 760 euros.

According to Confidencial Imobiliario, which compiles housing data, rents in Lisbon, a tourist hub, have risen by 65% ​​since 2015, while sales prices have increased by 137% over that period. According to another property survey company Casafari, rents rose by 37% last year alone, more than in Barcelona or Paris.

The situation is especially difficult for young people.

The average rent for a one-room apartment in Lisbon is about 1,350 euros, according to research by housing portal Imovirtual.

Working homeless people

The Socialist government last month announced a housing package that, among other measures, ended the controversial Golden Visa scheme and banned new Airbnb property licences, but critics say it is not enough to lower prices in the short term.

During a protest organized by the Home to Live movement and other groups, 35-year-old illustrator Diogo Guerra said he hears stories every day about people struggling to access housing.

“People who … work and are homeless, people are being evicted because their homes are being turned into short-term housing (for tourists),” he said.

Low wages and high rents make Lisbon the third least liveable city, according to a study by insurance brokers CIA Landlords. Portugal’s current inflation rate of 8.2% has exacerbated the problem.

“With my salary, which is higher than the average salary in Lisbon, I can’t afford to rent an apartment because it’s too expensive,” said Nuncio Renzi, an Italian sales manager who lives in the capital.