Portugal city invests €8.5 million in housing

The proposal, presented by Mayor Luís Nobre, was met with an abstention from council member José Belo (Chega), who cited concerns about a challenge filed by one of the three companies that participated in the international public tender.

Luís Nobre explained that the project, launched in 2023, was delayed by the land acquisition process, which extended into 2025.

He added that the project’s development faced constraints because municipal departments were managing numerous other projects supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) at the same time.

The housing units—comprising one-, two-, and three-bedroom (T1, T2, and T3) apartments—are intended for the middle class and will be offered at “controlled costs”—that is, below market rates—to facilitate access for young families and households with specific monthly income levels.

Last year, the Viana do Castelo City Council held a public tender to allocate these “controlled-cost” housing units.

At the time, Mayor Luís Nobre said the project would also include redeveloping the urban space around the six plots—an area neglected for decades—to “enhance the collective heritage.”

Similar municipal housing developments are also planned for the parish of S. Romão de Neiva, in the locality of Três Marcos, where 18 plots will be designated for residential use, featuring two- and three-bedroom (T2 and T3) housing units. This investment in housing complements the “Local Housing Strategy – 1st Right” (Estratégia Local de Habitação – 1º Direito) initiative—part of the Housing Access Support Program and the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR)—which has represented an investment of nearly 51 million euros in the municipality of Viana, benefiting 641 households, 457 of which were supported through direct investment by the Municipality.