Editorial 38

Abstract

The 38th issue of CIDADES, Comunidades e Territórios resumes the presence of a thematic dossier organized by invited editors. In this case, “The State of Housing: crisis, policy and policies” organized by Marco Allegra and Simone Tulumello. The chosen theme could not be more appropriate, not only due to the social and economic circumstances that the real estate market is currently experiencing in Portugal, but especially for the policy package - palliative or not so much - that is now being launched by the Government in an attempt to solve the serious problems of housing. Far from being recent, these problems have been dragging on for several decades in Portugal, becoming more visible and serious in recent times due to a number of circumstances. We can mention, for instance, the globalization of markets and their speculative effects - in particular, the role played by real estate funds and other financial and fiscal instruments in the financialization of real estate assets - as well as the multiple impacts that the huge rise in urban tourism in a short time span triggered in the housing market, already very precarious in terms of affordable and available supply for local residents.