“Profoundly human” day as 56 Coimbra families receive keys to new homes – Portugal Resident

The first 56 families have received the keys to new municipal homes at Quinta das Bicas, on the outskirts of Coimbra, in what mayor Ana Abrunhosa described as a “profoundly human” day for the city.

The families, many of them living in single-parent households, signed their rental contracts on Tuesday during a ceremony attended by Infrastructure and Housing Minister Miguel Pinto Luz.

“Today is a day that will remain in Coimbra’s history,” Abrunhosa said. “A day that is not merely administrative, technical or ceremonial, but profoundly human.”

The Quinta das Bicas development in Taveiro will eventually provide 268 homes for families facing housing hardship. A further 72 properties are expected to be allocated in August as part of the second phase of occupation.

The project, one of Coimbra municipality’s largest housing developments, is being carried out under Portugal’s 1.º Direito housing programme and has received more than €36 million from the country’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

Pinto Luz used the ceremony to reiterate the government’s pledge to complete the 26,000 homes included in the PRR housing programme by the end of August. He also said funding would remain guaranteed for homes that were not finished by the deadline.

The minister reaffirmed the broader government target of having 59,000 homes under construction by the end of the year.

For the families receiving their keys, the ceremony marked the beginning of preparations to move into their new homes. The arrival of hundreds of residents will also bring a substantial increase in the population of Taveiro, just outside Coimbra.

The municipality said several departments and local organisations had worked together to prepare for the first residents, with measures covering social support, school places, public transport and access to essential services.

Municipal officials say this coordinated support will continue as further phases of the Quinta das Bicas development are occupied.

Sources: SIC Notícias/ Município de Coimbra Facebook page