A Housing Cooperative As Sete Bikas, Matosinhos in the district of Porto, which celebrated its 48th anniversary this month, is preparing to open one, at the beginning of the next school year. University residence For the 21 students, the president revealed Lusa.
For managing more than 4,000 homes, nursing homes, day care centers, nurseries, home care, auditoriums, parks and swimming pools, cooperative Now a university residence has been added to this list, named “Student House”, spanning 21 beds in double and triple rooms, Guilherme Villaverde said in an interview with Lusa about the current housing problem in Portugal.
A residenceWhich rises to the Senhora da Hora, in an old gymnasium that has outlived its time MatosinhosThere was an investment of 400 thousand euros and the aim was to respond to a “huge difficulty and gap” in society, he said.
“A large number of students are not being displaced from their land residence Prestigious and often subject to widespread speculation in the country, especially in large urban centers”, he stressed.
Therefore, he added, the importance of this accommodation which is fully furnished and whose monthly fee, which will be around 300 euros, includes Water, electricity, internet and cleaning costs.
Guilherme Villeverde emphasized that the purpose of this tool, like the others he manages, is not the goal of profit, but rather the quality of life and the sense of community, something that characterizes and distinguishes cooperatives – a feeling that has been lost over time. , as well as civil and popular participation, lamented the head of the cooperative.
its leader Housing Cooperative As Sette Vikas attributes the loss of the “mystique” of cooperative community life to changes in society and the current experience.
Cooperative sector aims to solve the housing problem
According to him, the idea of the new generation is that someone will solve their problems for them, namely housing.
Just as teachers have demonstrated to fight for what they believe is their right, Guilherme Villaverde understands that the new generation must also shape themselves as solutions to the problem.
“O Cooperative projectThe idea of citizen participation and the idea of forming themselves as small groups and as a solution is missing”, he considered.
It is necessary to build new housing, but the obstacles and limitations are “many”, from the lack of land or the high price available, the lack of materials and the cost of labor, he noted, which has 14 years. Since Cooperativa Sete Bicas produced nothing.
“I am [achar] It is very difficult for major development in this area to be possible in the next decade, so I maintain that it is up to the states and municipalities, if they want to. Cooperative sector A strong ally in promoting an affordable housing response is imposing mechanism building”, he concluded.