Latest news and stories about housing in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Portugal for expats and residents.
Vila Nova de Gaia Mayor Luís Filipe Menezes has publicly accused Defence Minister Nuno Melo of lying, denying any contact regarding the transfer of military land designated for 3,000 homes. While Menezes praised other government ministers for their receptiveness, he blamed Melo directly for stalling the housing project.
The Vila Nova de Gaia City Council has declined to join opposition councillors in a collective effort to lobby the Portuguese Environment Agency regarding the reduction of demolitions and the placement of a high-speed rail station.
The Minister of Defence accused the mayor of Gaia of lying about a process concerning military land that the municipality wants for housing.
At issue is a military plot of land in Serra do Pilar that the City Council wants to use for housing.
The clarification comes after the official stated on Thursday in Vila Nova de Gaia that he did not know “if current society is prepared for the level of sacrifice that our parents and grandparents made to own a home”
The mayor of Gaia accused the Minister of Defence of insisting on maintaining custody of the Serra do Pilar football pitch, which the municipality intends to use for housing. He did not rule out sending “young people to the Prime Minister's door”. Nuno Melo subsequently replied to Luís Filipe Menezes, stating that it is a matter of respecting the Military Infrastructure Law.
The president of the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation stated that their own grandparents emigrated so that they could afford a house.
The city council approved two agreements with the IHRU: 65 rehabilitated housing units across 10 parishes and 31 acquired in Grijó and Mafamude, under a controlled rent scheme.
Paulo Ferreira do Amaral was dismissed from his position as municipal director of Housing following an anonymous tip-off regarding an alleged lack of a degree, which he denies.
The homes of the eight families were purchased by a real estate company, which revealed that these families would have to leave at the end of their contracts. The City Council handled the 'emergency situation'.
A couple bought all the houses on a street in Vila Nova de Gaia, forcing tenants to leave. The City Council handed over keys to new homes to eight families.
The potential buyer projected the image of a serious person, whose husband owned a diamond business.
The Vila Nova de Gaia local council will rehouse 10 families who were notified to vacate their homes. The properties were sold to a company and the lease agreements have come to an end.
The 13 houses on the street were purchased and low-income tenants were at risk of becoming homeless. The local authority does not rule out filing an injunction to gain room for manoeuvre.
With the first contracts ending on June 30th and no alternatives, low-income residents returned to the executive meeting after a month without answers from the local authority.
An investor bought all the houses in the neighbourhood and the lease agreements end next month. Residents say they have nowhere to go and accuse the City Council of failing to protect the neighbourhood.
Some residents are on a waiting list for public housing, but there is no immediate solution
Ten families in Vila Nova de Gaia are at risk of becoming homeless between this month and the next.
Elections held on April 25 and 26 for the Local Coordination Group (GCL) of the newly created Vila Nova de Gaia Municipal Nucleus of Livre had a single candidate list.
Real estate developer and asset manager Âncora Investments has announced a partnership with PMA – Paulo Merlini Architects to develop two large-scale residential projects in the Porto Metropolitan Area, located in Canelas (Vila Nova de Gaia) and Águas Santas (Maia). The initial investment is estimated at 180 million euros, with the potential to increase as the projects progress. The developments are expected to total over 80,000 m² of above-ground construction and approximately 650 homes aimed at the mid-market segment. Construction is scheduled to begin within the next 12 months and will be carried out in phases.
Three projects are involved: the Bustes urbanisation, featuring three 12-storey towers; the Quinta do Paço development, which includes 73 homes; and the drafting of the detailed plan for the Madalena quarry.
The building damaged another house and forced the relocation of one person.
