Lisbon council secures municipal land for affordable housing in Alta de Lisboa

The Lisbon city council approved an agreement on Wednesday morning to keep land with high housing potential in Alta de Lisboa under municipal control. The land has a construction capacity of more than 70,000 square meters.

The deal resolves pending obligations and litigious issues between the municipality and the Sociedade Gestora da Alta de Lisboa (SGAL). It was signed by Vice President Gonçalo Reis.

“The maintenance of these lands in the municipal sphere of Alta de Lisboa, which we want to allocate to affordable housing projects, is good news for the city and for the many families who may benefit from them.”

The proposal passed with votes in favor from the PS, BE, and the PSD/CDS-PP/IL leadership. Chega voted against, while Livre and the PCP abstained.

The agreement follows the rejection of a contract extension that had originally been signed in December 1984. The contract's final validity ended on March 31, 2025.

Carlos Moedas, President of the Lisbon Municipal Chamber, stated that the agreement resolves a contractual dispute of decades and avoids a complex and slow arbitration process.

Separately, the PCP has proposed suspending and annulling a July 8 decision to auction ten municipal plots in Belém, Lumiar, São Vicente, and Campolide. The PCP argues these ten plots could provide 500 homes.