Lisbon Mayoral Candidate Prioritizes Housing, Proposes Mobilizing Vacant Public Buildings
Alexandra Leitão, the candidate representing the left-wing 'Viver Lisboa' coalition, has formally placed housing policy at the forefront of her campaign for the 2025 Lisbon municipal elections. In a recent statement, she identified the city's housing shortage and high costs as a primary failure of the incumbent mayor, Carlos Moedas. The policy objective of her coalition, which includes the Socialist Party (PS), Livre, Bloco de Esquerda (BE), and PAN, is to directly address the housing deficit through a series of targeted initiatives. Leitão’s campaign is built on the premise that the current administration has not adequately managed the city's resources to alleviate the housing pressure on its residents.
A key plank in Leitão's proposed housing strategy is the mobilization of vacant municipal buildings. During a campaign event in the Ajuda parish, she specifically identified several empty, city-owned properties that she argues could be converted into residential units. This policy is designed to increase the supply of available housing by repurposing underutilized public assets. “One of the solutions from the Viver Lisboa coalition... is the mobilization of vacant municipal buildings,” she announced, framing it as a practical and immediate step the municipality can take. This initiative is presented as a direct response to what she describes as “insufficient and overly expensive” housing options currently available to the public.
The candidate's political strategy involves a direct critique of the current executive's performance on urban management. Leitão has accused Mayor Moedas of using personal attacks to shift focus away from his administration's policy shortcomings. “Carlos Moedas makes a character attack to take the focus off what is wrong with the city,” she stated in an interview with Expresso. This approach positions the election as a referendum on the tangible results of the current leadership, with housing as the central exhibit of alleged failures. The policy debate is thus framed not just around future promises, but on the effective use of existing municipal power and property.
The 'Viver Lisboa' platform extends beyond housing to include critiques of mobility, urban hygiene, and the maintenance of public spaces, suggesting a comprehensive plan for urban renewal. However, housing remains the strategic priority, tying together various aspects of urban well-being. By focusing on concrete actions like the audit and conversion of vacant buildings, Leitão aims to present a clear and actionable alternative to the current government's housing policy. The outcome of this political contest could have significant implications for Lisbon's development strategy and the legislative framework governing property in the capital.
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