Latest news and stories about local accommodation in daily life in Portugal for expats and residents.
Residents of Alcácer do Sal have recounted distress from recent floods as authorities install housing blocks for displaced people, Correio da Manhã reports. Local services are providing temporary accommodation while recovery and damage assessments continue. Those in the affected area should contact the municipality for assistance and check insurance or emergency support options.
Almost a month after Storm Kristin, some residents still cannot return home; Expresso reports that in Souto da Carpalhosa one family is living in makeshift accommodation after losing their house and have delayed plans to return from Switzerland. The report underscores that recovery is uneven and that personal displacement continues even where repair work on infrastructure has begun. Homeowners and renters in affected areas should track local authority updates and insurance or social-assistance options.
Storm Kristin was a named Atlantic storm that struck Portugal in late 2024, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds (gusts exceeding 100 km/h in some areas), and significant coastal wave action. The storm caused widespread flooding, roof collapses, fallen trees, and power outages across several districts.
IPMA issued orange and red warnings for affected regions, and ANEPC activated emergency response plans. The impact was particularly severe in flood-prone areas of the Lisbon metropolitan area and the Tagus and Mondego river basins, where drainage systems were overwhelmed.
Storm Kristin highlighted recurring vulnerabilities in Portugal's infrastructure during extreme weather events — including urban drainage capacity, riverbank management, and the need for updated emergency response coordination. Residents in storm-affected areas were advised to follow civil protection guidance, avoid coastal zones and riverbanks, and report damage through municipal services.
Tourism of Portugal (Turismo de Portugal) has launched an emergency accommodation programme after the storm, making 815 units available across 55 municipalities and registering over 100 establishments so far. Access to the free rooms is granted on a municipal-council declaration and participating businesses can receive up to €60 per night to cover costs. The scheme is aimed at people displaced by the storms and at supporting local recovery; affected residents should contact their municipal council to request assistance.
Turismo de Portugal (the national tourism agency) is the state agency responsible for promoting Portugal as a destination and managing tourism support and funding. It administers sector programmes and can provide measures such as repaying bank debt or extending repayment deadlines for businesses, so restaurants and tourism companies should check eligibility for announced support.
The Portuguese government has extended the deadline for municipalities with over 1,000 local accommodation units to establish their own regulatory frameworks, allowing for the potential suspension of new registrations.
João Guarda, a resident of Leiria, is facing severe flooding for the second time this week. He has resorted to using a log in an attempt to manage the rising water levels around his home, highlighting the ongoing challenges posed by extreme weather conditions in the area.
By 20:00 mainland Portugal had recorded 713 incidents linked to severe weather, concentrated in the North region and Lisbon and the Tagus Valley. A landslide in Porto Salvo put a home at risk and prompted authorities to rehouse one family in Oeiras; emergency services managed widespread calls and localised interventions. The figures underline pressure on local emergency capacity and highlight continued public-safety and accommodation challenges as adverse conditions persist.
Depression Ingrid brought intense rainfall and flooding to parts of Portugal, causing at least one fatality and leaving two people injured when a car was swept away in Cadaval. The floods displaced 14 people in Peniche and prompted roughly 970 emergency incidents over 24 hours, placing substantial strain on local emergency services and raising broader public-safety concerns as authorities continue monitoring flood-prone areas.
In Lisbon, Vitória lives with her boyfriend and her daughter in a three-bedroom flat shared with another family — a mother who has two daughters. In Porto, Gabriela sleeps in the same room as her two 16-year-old daughters. There are increasing cases of families sharing homes.
Housing prices have risen to levels that many describe as obscene, driven by a mix of constrained local supply, strong demand, low borrowing costs and investor activity. The resulting price inflation has undermined affordability, altered living choices and intensified regional disparities in property markets. Policy responses and planning changes will be central to cool inflation and expand accommodation options in affected areas.
The Socialist Party (PS) will submit a bill titled “Coming Home” to Parliament proposing the creation of transitional residences aimed at reducing social institutionalisation. The policy seeks to shift care from large institutions to local, secure accommodation that supports reintegration, bridging healthcare and housing needs. Analytically, the measure could advance deinstitutionalisation and community-based care, but its success will depend on funding, local delivery capacity, regulatory safeguards and clear pathways to permanent housing.
The Government's housing plan, due for debate and a vote on Friday, is expected to pass after Chega signals it will abstain. Although Chega's final voting decision is not yet locked in, the party led by André Ventura intends to abstain so it can later table and negotiate amendments during the committee stage. The abstention effectively allows the bill to advance despite the Government lacking a clear majority, with potential implications for property costs, local housing policy and market regulation as the measure moves to detailed scrutiny.
Benfica members approved the “Benfica District” project at an extraordinary General Assembly, with 59.24% voting in favour. The development — a campaign pledge of re-elected president Rui Costa — aims to transform the area around the Estádio da Luz, increase stadium capacity and will have material implications for the club's revenue streams, the local property market and urban infrastructure planning.
In Porto, there are streets where the movement never stops — but the residents have disappeared. Rua do Almada is the most evident example of a city where tourism and local accommodation dominate: it concentrates more local accommodation registrations than any other street in the city.
The article highlights recent notable events in Portugal, including the emotional farewell of António Lobo Antunes, a renowned Portuguese author, marked by moments of laughter, tears, and Benfica football club references. It also reports the death of Nuno Morais Sarmento, a former minister, at age 65. Politically, a member of the Chega party was dismissed from the Lisbon City Hall after renting out substandard housing. Additionally, the article mentions the detention of seven police officers involved in torture at the Rato police station, who are now under preventive detention. These updates reflect significant cultural, political, and social developments in Portugal.
The Ohai Peniche, a hotel that will occupy the site of the former municipal campsite, is already under construction, replicating the concept of Ohai Nazaré. This is part of Spanish group ILanga Capital's investment in two Portuguese locations linked to surfing and the sea. The Ohai brand was established as part of investments by Spanish millionaire Pelayo Cortina ...
Families living in São Benedito were evacuated from their homes on 7 February as a precaution due to the effects of bad weather.
Jaime Quintas lived for 50 years in the Padre Cruz neighbourhood of Lisbon, until in November 2025, he was forced to leave his home by members of Gebalis.
About 500 people were evacuated from their homes, with some staying with family or friends, while others were accommodated in lodgings paid for by the municipality.
Olen and Bohdan have been living in Portugal since September 2022, in a house provided to them by a humanitarian centre.
'Doa a Quem Doer' was in the city of Coimbra where the Mondego River frightened the population for days as they feared losing their homes. This week's programme also reveals the stories of those who lost everything due to the bad weather.
Madalena Azevedo lives in a house unfit for habitation due to the destruction caused by storm Kristin.
A family of six is homeless and without support because Alenquer was not on the list.
Filomena and Vítor's home was damaged by the passage of Storm Kristin.
The collapse occurred during the early hours of the morning. 23 of the 30 residents were accommodated by the local authority, while the remaining seven found alternative housing solutions.
In Almada, 500 people have already been evacuated from their homes due to the risk of land subsidence. A resident complains about the lack of concrete assistance from the local authority.
Soil movements and the risk of cliff collapse forced the evacuation of residents. The local authority says some may not return.
The programme from Tourism of Portugal aims to provide emergency accommodation for families affected by the storms.
Due to the imminent risk of dyke collapse in Coimbra, local authorities decided to evacuate three thousand people from their homes. Support locations have already received 160 individuals. We are providing live updates on the weather conditions in Portugal.
Compounding the lack of staff, the repair work has been hindered by the bad weather experienced since the Kristin depression.
According to the mayor, “the goal is for some of these people to move into modular homes until they can rehabilitate their residences.”
Four people are staying in a hotel and one with family members.
