In a statement, the municipality indicates that the contract is part of its “housing policy, which includes a set of measures to mitigate the housing problem, such as housing at controlled costs, acquisition of land for construction and apartments for rent at affordable prices and conditional rent programmes”.

The mayor of Albufeira, Carlos Rolo, quoted in the statement, says that in addition to the 40 dwellings to be built in Paderne, another 70 are planned to be built in Fontainhas (Ferreiras) and another 54 in the city, and work is expected to begin by the end of the year.

“There is an enormous difficulty in renting a house in Albufeira, especially at prices compatible with the income of families and young people who want to start their life project, a situation that also makes it difficult to establish professionals in various areas of activity,” says the mayor.

José Carlos Rolo assures that housing “is one of the main priorities of the municipality, which uses various instruments to mitigate the problem.

According to advanced data, the municipality is supporting 290 households through rent subsidies, whose share can reach 60 percent of the total value of rents, in an annual investment of about 500 thousand Euros.

“The municipality is also making efforts to find homes that are ready or able to be rehabilitated for rent at affordable prices, as well as to purchase land to build new homes,” the document reads.

For the mayor of Albufeira, the problem of housing “should be seen as a priority, since it conditions people’s quality of life and the development of the economy”.