Portugal's Elderly Face a Housing Crisis as Rents Soar and Incomes Stagnate
In Lisbon, rising rents and stagnant incomes are pushing elderly residents into cramped and undignified living spaces. Mariana, an 80-year-old who moved from Alentejo, now struggles to afford even her tiny room in the city. Her story reflects a broader crisis affecting older people across Portugal, where nearly one in five seniors live in poverty.
The Santa Catarina Parish Center, a hub for elderly locals seeking company and activities, offers a refuge from loneliness, but her own living situation remains dire. Her rented room—a cramped space with a single and a half bed, a broken cabinet, a small TV, and a wardrobe—lacks basic comforts like proper ventilation or windows.
The center sits in an area under heavy pressure from real estate speculation, making affordable housing unaffordable for many. Isabel, 64, works there and, like others, lives in a single room outside work hours. Without a proper home, she misses out on social activities that could improve her daily life.
Across Portugal, the problem is widespread. Nearly 20% of the elderly live in poverty, with childless seniors facing the highest rate at 27%. Rising rents and living costs force many to sacrifice privacy and freedom, often losing even the most basic living standards. Housing-related credit support requests now make up 15% of cases at DECO's over-indebtedness office—a figure that jumped 10% in just one year.
For Mariana and others like her, the struggle for affordable housing continues. The Santa Catarina Parish Center provides temporary relief, but systemic pressures leave many elderly residents trapped in inadequate living conditions. Without intervention, the gap between incomes and housing costs will likely push more seniors into poverty and isolation.
Read also:
- India's Agriculture Minister Reviews Sector Progress Amid Heavy Rains, Crop Areas Up
- Sleep Maxxing Trends and Tips: New Zealanders Seek Better Rest
- Over 1.7M in Baden-Württemberg at Poverty Risk, Emmendingen's Housing Crisis Urgent
- Cyprus, Kuwait Strengthen Strategic Partnership with Upcoming Ministerial Meeting
