Requests for support to pay rent, medicines or electricity and gas bills increased in the last semester of 2022 in Vila Real, due to the worsening cost of living, according to the chamber and Cáritas.
Cristina Melo, 46, is one of the beneficiaries of the rental support program granted by the municipality.
????????It is a salary of 95 euros, which makes a lot of difference for a salary of 730 euros“, he said, specifying that the rent for the house is around 300 euros.
Cristina Melo said that her economic situation was even more difficult due to the general increase in prices and expenses. To help, in addition to her administrative work, she also works part time on weekends.
He has a daughter, who already has a college degree, but whom he still helps, and also has his mother living with him.
????????There is no money left. It is going shopping, private labels and taking the essentials and nothing else???????? It’s really trying to manage so that (the money) makes ends meet,” he said.
The councilor for Social Action, Mara Minhava, said that those who have turned to the chamber are families “of the lower middle class who suddenly cannot make ends meet.”
Employed people, but due to inflation, price increases and loss of purchasing power are having a hard time making ends meet????????
According to the councilor, the municipality is currently helping 120 families with this rental support measure and, as announced, the program will be reinforced with another “10% to 20%” in 2023.
Mara Minhava stated that she too Financing of the Municipal Social Emergency Fund will be strengthenedwhich provides exceptional and temporary financial support to households in need in serious social emergencies, in particular in terms of housing, food shortages, medical care and support for the education of children and youth.
????????It is for emergent situations, which people are not counting on.???????? For example, a child who breaks his glasses and the parents cannot pay”, he exemplified.
These two measures are, according to the official, those with the greatest demand.
“The situation is getting worse”said Carlos Martins from Cáritas Diocesana de Vila Real, who specified that requests for aid are increasing and, at the same time, there is also greater difficulty on the part of donors.
The official said that there was an increase in requests in the last semester of 2022, which he considers as a consequence of the general increase in prices and the worsening of the socioeconomic situation of the country.
This year, 95 families have come to the specific and urgent support of the institution, to Payment of water, electricity, gas, medication or rent bills????????
“The biggest requests right now are for medicines,” said Carlos Martins.
According to the person in charge, since the beginning of the year, 30 requests for help to pay rent have reached the institution, with Cáritas managing to respond to 14. Most of the requests (19) were made in the last semester of 2022.
Cáritas also delivers vouchers for the purchase of basic necessities to 71 households.
Carlos Martins also highlighted the Increase in requests for support from relatives of foreigners, migrants and refugees????????
In the first semester, the institution served 93 families of other nationalities and, in the second semester, 131 families were served, mostly from Brazil (109), but also from Angola, Algeria, Cape Verde, Morocco, Nigeria, Ukraine. and Venezuela.
Foreigners ask for help to pay, for example, bills, medicines, food and even warm clothes for the winter (blankets, sheets).
Source: Observadora
