Government Sets End-of-2026 Target for State Property Inventory
The Portuguese government has established the end of 2026 as the new target date for completing a comprehensive inventory of the state's entire real estate portfolio. The announcement was made by the Deputy Secretary of State for the Budget, José Maria Brandão de Brito, who stated that the initiative is receiving a significant push to identify all publicly owned assets. This policy is designed to catalogue the state's vast property holdings, with the ultimate goal of releasing surplus real estate back into the market.
During a parliamentary hearing, Brandão de Brito explained that the immediate priority is the inventory process itself, with a full valuation of the assets to be conducted at a later stage. "Our expectation is that by the end of next year, the State's real estate portfolio will be completely inventoried," he affirmed. The government's objective is to gain a clear understanding of which properties are allocated to each state entity and determine which are non-essential to public operations. According to the secretary, these "unnecessary properties will be removed and may be returned to the real estate and rental market."
This strategic effort is part of a broader plan to address housing market pressures by increasing the available supply of properties for both sale and rent. The management of this process will be spearheaded by Estamo, the public company responsible for state real estate assets. Brandão de Brito noted that a new administration at Estamo is poised to give "a new impetus to lead this strategy," ensuring that the identified properties are efficiently managed and prepared for market entry. The move is anticipated to have a notable impact on property availability across Portugal, including in high-demand areas such as Lisbon and Porto.
The policy has been received with interest by market observers, who see it as a critical step toward more efficient public asset management and a potential tool for mitigating housing shortages. The systematic cataloguing of state-owned buildings and land is expected to create a transparent and detailed overview of the public patrimony for the first time. This will enable policymakers to make informed decisions about the future use of these assets, whether for public services, social housing, or sale to private entities. The government has stressed that the primary focus is on understanding the full scope of the portfolio before proceeding with large-scale disposals.
The initiative follows years of debate over the vast and often underutilized real estate holdings of the Portuguese state. Various public bodies, from ministries to municipalities, own thousands of properties, many of which are vacant or in a state of disrepair. By creating a centralized and detailed inventory, the government aims to unlock the value of these assets and ensure they are put to productive use. The process will involve collaboration across multiple government departments and public bodies to ensure all properties are correctly identified and registered. The final inventory will serve as a foundational tool for the state's long-term real estate strategy, influencing urban planning and housing policies for years to come.
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