Social housing system brings back 300 people to historic downtown in Porto

Porto City Hall shall invest nearly EUR 4 million in the rehabilitation of 96 homes in the historic centre, with a capacity to accommodate 300 people.

"At the end of this programme, 300 people will be accommodated in the historic centre. A large number are new dwellers. This project alone represents 3% of the population of the historic centre", said Manuel Pizarro, Councilman for Housing and Social Action.

According to the City Hall, this programme is the first to return people to historic downtown in the city of Porto.

"This issue of the heritage building is an election pledge and we are acting accordingly, thus we are not selling properties in historical downtown, contrary to what had been done over the last decades; we are taking action to promote the rehabilitation and provide social housing", Mayor Rui Moreira added.

"Our future concern will be to have a rental market available to the middle class because this middle class also has the right to live in the historic centre if it so wishes", the Mayor concluded.

Rui Moreira concluded by saying that "the City Hall must respond to the market failures, that is, providing social housing and controlled rental housing".

The buildings are located in Armenia Street, Rua de Trás, Infante D. Henrique Street, Cima do Muro Street, Reboleira Street, Tomás Gonzaga Street and D. Hugo Street.