The measure aims to increase the supply of public and affordable housing for the middle class, excluding luxury real estate projects. The diploma provides exceptions for areas with potential for agricultural exploration and priority areas for REN, RAN and Rede Natura.
The Portuguese Government approved this Thursday a draft diploma that makes legislation on land use more flexible and simple, allowing Municipal Councils to unlock land for housing construction. The measure is part of the program Build Portugalpresented in May, and will still be subject to public hearings before its implementation.
According to António Leitão Amaro, Minister of the Presidency, the diploma creates an exceptional regime that authorizes construction and urbanization on land classified as rustic, including areas of the National Ecological Reserve (REN) and the National Agricultural Reserve (RAN), but excludes the most sensitive areas of these classifications. The main objective is to expand the housing supply quickly, promoting affordable solutions for the middle class.
One of the main conditions for the use of these lands is that 70% of the construction is intended for public housing or at moderate prices, excluding luxury projects. The minister highlighted that the measure aims to respond to the housing needs of families and “will be a great accelerator” in increasing the supply of affordable homes in the country, cited by .
Despite the flexibility, the diploma includes important safeguards to protect work spaces greater environmental and agricultural sensitivitysuch as areas with high exploration potential for agriculture and priority areas for REN, RAN and Rede Natura.
This initiative is seen as a strategic step to face the housing crisis in Portugal, while seeking to balance urban development with environmental protection and the sustainability of the territory. The measure must now be widely debated before its final implementation.
