Regional Government supports "Nossa Vila, Nossa Casa" cooperative for construction of 16 3-bedroom houses - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, Maria João Carreiro, and the President of the Board of the "Nossa Vila, Nossa Casa" Cooperative, Rui Tavares, signed a protocol today to provide financial support for the development of land plots owned by this Cooperative in Rabo de Peixe, where 16  3-bedroom homes will be built.

With this protocol, the Region will grant the Cooperative non-refundable financial support amounting to 314 thousand Euros (€313,940.85). This will ensure the full reimbursement of the architecture and speciality projects as well as the construction and supervision of the infrastructural works.

At the ceremony, Maria João Carreio expressed her "satisfaction and pride" at the initiative and the cooperative's application for public support to promote affordable housing. She emphasised that the Region will benefit "if more examples like this emerge in other municipalities and other islands of the archipelago."

"The collective organisation of society through housing cooperatives to overcome the difficulties in accessing housing must exist and persist" stated the government official. In this regard, she stressed that "the joint work of various agents in the construction sector multiplies results and the Regional Government's support for these initiatives amplifies the responses that need to be provided."

In this regard, the Regional Secretary insisted that "the contribution made by the 'Nossa Vila, Nossa Casa' Cooperative is an initiative that should be valued and amplified" by increasing the number of applications from cooperatives already created or to be established for the public support available in the Region. Applications take place every year from April 1 to December 31.

"The Government's responsibility cannot be limited to an isolated action. The response to housing access cannot be solved with isolated responses detached from reality, but rather with the joint efforts of the various public, private, social and cooperative entities" stated the Regional Secretary. 

Rui Tavares, for his part, praised the Regional Government's dialogue and collaboration with the Cooperative to bring this new development into existence, conveying his expectation that the Government will also support future investments planned to improve the housing supply. 

The signing ceremony was attended by members of the Board of the Cooperative and member families, and the Regional Director for Housing, Daniel Pavão.

It should be noted that the public investment for next year in Housing, as proposed in the 2025 Plan and Budget, is the highest in the last 10 years. The total investment is 36.2 million Euros, with 24.8 million Euros funded under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, representing an increase of more than 23% compared to 2024.

The Regional Government's proposals include the regulation of the lease with purchase option scheme to make housing construction and renovation under the RRP and the Regional Budget available through this scheme. This will improve the supply of housing at prices compatible with the income of Azorean households, particularly young people and the middle class.

The Regional Government is also proposing to the Azorean Parliament that the amount provided for in rental contracts between the Region and homeowners for subletting under the "Families with a Future" support programme be increased by 50%, in addition to a 20% increase in the support granted to families for housing rentals.