CDU Candidate for Lisbon Mayor Unveils Plan for 5,000 Affordable Homes and Rent Control
João Ferreira, the presidential candidate for the CDU coalition (PCP-PEV) in the Lisbon municipal elections, has detailed an aggressive housing policy aimed at combating real estate speculation and delivering 5,000 affordable homes within a single mayoral term. The announcement places housing at the forefront of the party's platform, proposing a series of interventions in both the public and private sectors to address the city's affordability crisis.
The policy's primary objective is to rapidly increase the stock of non-market housing. Ferreira stated the 5,000-unit goal is 'realistic' and aligns with the city's Municipal Housing Charter. The implementation strategy relies on a mix of direct public construction on city-owned land and robust partnerships with the central government, which Ferreira argues holds the ultimate responsibility for national housing policy. This approach seeks to maximize public resources to create a substantial inventory of homes with controlled rents.
A key component of the plan is the promotion of cooperative housing models. The CDU program calls for fostering new cooperative solutions that operate 'outside of a speculative logic,' as well as establishing 'public-community partnerships.' According to Ferreira, these structures are designed to 'remove the speculative factor of land price from the price formation equation,' a critical step in producing genuinely affordable housing. This represents a push towards alternative, community-led housing solutions that prioritize residents over profits.
The budget for this ambitious plan would be sourced from a combination of the municipal budget, central government transfers, and potentially dedicated funds from a reformed property tax system. Ferreira's proposal also includes a direct challenge to the private development market through the introduction of 'inclusive zoning.' This mandatory policy would require all new private residential projects to allocate a percentage of their units to an affordable rental scheme, ensuring that private development contributes directly to the city's social housing goals.
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Addressing the issue of vacant properties, Ferreira cited statistics indicating 48,000 empty homes in Lisbon, with only a small minority (6,000-7,000) currently subject to the aggravated IMI property tax. He asserted that the City Council must use all its available instruments, including both penalties and incentives, to push these vacant units onto the rental and sales markets to increase supply and drive down prices. This measure targets property owners who keep homes empty for speculative purposes.
Ferreira provided a clear definition for 'affordable rent' under his plan. For housing built directly by the municipality or the state, rent would be capped to represent 'no more than 30% to 35% of the family budget.' This income-based definition aims to ensure that housing costs are manageable for Lisbon's residents. The policy has received support from housing rights advocates but is likely to face strong opposition from landlord associations and private developers who argue that such stringent regulations will deter investment in the city's housing market.
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