The new Accessible Housing Law presented by the European Commission this week confirms the strategy adopted by Portugal in the "Construir Portugal" program in 2024. The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, stated that "Portugal did not wait for Europe. It did its homework and sees its strategy confirmed today," in a communiqué issued on Friday, September 11.
The European Commission initiative aims to help EU countries and cities promote the supply of affordable and available housing, especially in areas where housing pressure is greatest.
In the domain of Local Accommodation, Portugal anticipated by two years the European principles applicable to the sector. The country strengthened the regulatory power of municipalities, reformed containment areas, and enshrined sustainable growth areas, seeking to reconcile the right to housing with tourism activity and private property.
The communiqué also highlights that the Legal Regime of Spatial Planning Instruments and, in the area of simplification and digitalization of licensing, the Legal Regime of Urbanization and Building are also in force, measures foreseen in the Construir Portugal program.
