Finding a house has become one of the biggest difficulties for many families in Portugal, but there are public and municipal competitions that can be an alternative to the private market. In many parts of the country, there are open applications for public housing, affordable income or reduced income, although the rules change depending on the program and the responsible entity.
Attention: this does not mean, as a rule, receiving a house for free. In most cases, they are rental contracts, with rents calculated based on family income or set below market values. Still, there are exceptions: in the supported rent regime, the minimum income set by law is just 5.37 euros per month, although this amount only applies to families with very low income and is not present in all competitions.
According to the gov.pt portal, any citizen can apply for housing from the Housing and Urban Rehabilitation Institute (IHRU), through a service designed to apply for social housing owned by IHRU under a supported rental regime, without prejudice to the legal requirements and notices of each competition.
Income can be almost symbolic
Under the supported rental regime, the rent is not the same for everyone. The value is calculated taking into account the household’s corrected monthly income, which allows families with lower incomes to pay very low amounts.
Law No. 81/2014 determines, in articles 21 and 22, that the income in this regime is calculated according to the household’s income and also establishes a minimum income: it cannot be less than 1% of the Social Support Index (IAS).
As the IAS is set at 537.13 euros in 2026, according to Ordinance No. 480-A/2025/1, this minimum value corresponds to 5.37 euros per month. In other words, in supported rental situations, the rent can even be almost symbolic, although it always depends on the specific situation of the household and the type of competition. This minimum value applies to the supported rental regime. It does not mean that all affordable rent, reduced rent or rent with option to buy competitions have rents of this value.
Where registration is open
At the moment, there are open competitions in different parts of the country, but not all of them belong to the same regime. Some relate to affordable rent, others to reduced rent and others to rent with an option to buy.
Therefore, before proceeding, it is essential to confirm the notice of each competition, the deadlines, the applicable income and the required requirements.
Lisbon has houses up for competition
In Lisbon, the , with 32 houses and registrations until 5pm on June 12, 2026, is open. According to the Habitar Lisboa platform, the draw for houses is scheduled for June 19.
The list of available houses includes houses in parishes such as Ajuda, Beato, Benfica, Carnide and Estrela, among other areas of the city. In this case, it is affordable rent, a solution designed for households that have income, but are unable to keep up with the prices requested in the capital’s private market.
Amadora has 48 municipal housing units
In Amadora, there are also open registrations. The City Hall is bidding for Cerrado da Mira, under a reduced income regime. The deadline has been running since May 25th and ends on June 19th, 2026. 46 1-bedroom houses and two 2-bedroom houses are available, according to the city hall.
This program is aimed at people who have lived or worked in the municipality of Amadora for at least three years. Among the requirements indicated by the chamber is the existence of an average monthly income not exceeding four times the IAS, that is, 2,148.52 euros.
In this competition, the rent does not correspond to the minimum value of the supported rental. According to the Amadora City Council and Regulation No. 589/2026, the reduced rent results from the application of an effort rate of 35% to the household’s average monthly income, with limits between 384 and 480 euros for T1 and between 496 and 620 euros for T2.
There are also opportunities in the Azores
In the Azores, the Regional Housing Directorate has a lease with option to purchase. One of the competitions concerns 22 houses in the subdivision of 2ª Rua de Santa Clara, in Ponta Delgada, with registrations open from May 22nd to June 12th, according to the Government of the Azores and Order nº 1082/2026, published in the Official Journal of the Azores.
There is also another tender for 15 houses in the Achadinha subdivision, in the municipality of Nordeste, also in São Miguel. In this case, registrations have been taking place since May 26th and end on June 16th, in accordance with the Government of the Azores and Order nº 1081/2026.
How can you apply
In the case of IHRU housing, the Housing Portal explains that interested parties must submit a Housing Support Request on the Supported Leasing Electronic Platform. After sending this request, the candidate is automatically registered for open or future competitions, as long as there are houses compatible with the size of the household and the desired location.
In municipal or regional competitions, the process must be carried out on the platforms indicated by each entity. In Lisbon, the application takes place through the Habitar Lisboa platform. In Amadora, forms and notices are available on the City Council website. In the Azores, competitions can be consulted on the Regional Housing Directorate portal.
Who can be excluded
The rules vary from contest to contest, but there are frequent impediments. In many programs, for example, those who own another home, those who already benefit from certain public support for housing purposes or those who have debts with public entities may be excluded, when this is provided for in the regulations.
In supported renting, Law No. 81/2014 provides for impediments such as being the owner, usufructuary, tenant or holder of suitable housing, or benefiting from public financial support for housing purposes. In municipal and regional competitions, the regulations may add other requirements or impediments.
There may also be requirements related to residence, place of work, income, household composition or vulnerability situation.
Therefore, even when houses are available, the application does not automatically guarantee the allocation of housing.
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