"This classification of the entire city dates back to 2020 and, essentially, is a measure that penalises vacant buildings or fractions thereof, through a significant increase in the IMI tax rate, which will be raised sixfold," indicated PCP deputy Natacha Amaro, noting that this proposal from the council, which resulted from the PCP initiative, aims to prevent the ZPU delimitation from expiring at the end of this year.

Before being submitted to the Municipal Assembly, the PCP proposal was voted on by the council, approved unanimously.

The delimitation of the ZPU (Urban Planning Zone) "is justified by the need for more interventionist action to stimulate the placement of vacant or unoccupied properties on the housing market," indicated Natacha Amaro.

The proposal extends, for one year, the classification of the entire city territory as a ZPU and mandates the mayor, Carlos Moedas (PSD), to initiate the process of reviewing and updating the study justifying the delimitation of the ZPU (2020), in order to present, within a period of 12 months, a new updated proposal.

In the Municipal Assembly, the proposal was approved with votes against from Chega and votes in favor from the others, namely PSD, CDS-PP, IL, PS, Livre, BE, PAN, PCP and PEV.

"Punitive logic"

Justifying Chega's vote against, MP Margarida Penedo criticized the PCP's "punitive logic" and stated that "treating the entire city of Lisbon as a ZPU is to normalize the abuse of power, even if it is necessary to reverse the logic; therefore, first, punish, and then study."

The Housing Councillor, Vasco Moreira Rato (independent nominated by the PSD), agreed with the PCP's proposal to "deepen the study regarding this measure" within the framework of municipal policy instruments and said that, after the detailed study is completed, proposals will be presented "regarding the maintenance or not" of the ZPU.

Abandoned houses

According to the proposal, the decision to extend the ZPU (Special Urban Planning Zone) classification to the entire city of Lisbon is justified by the "high volume of vacant or abandoned housing units," estimated at around 48,000 units in the municipality, according to the 2021 Census.

The document emphasizes that the Housing Guidelines and Bases Law stipulates that owners of vacant houses are subject to sanctions provided for by law, and it is up to the municipalities to apply appropriate instruments to promote the effective use of the houses.

The proposal is also framed within the recently approved Lisbon Municipal Housing Charter, which identifies the reduction of vacant housing units as a priority and foresees the use of municipal fiscal policy to discourage abandoned properties, namely through increases in the Municipal Property Tax (IMI).