“The creation of Gebalis arose from one of the largest housing transformations in Lisbon, particularly from an effort to eliminate shantytowns,” stated Carlos Moedas, highlighting the role of the municipal company in implementing the PER – Special Rehousing Program (PER), established in 1993 to eradicate shantytowns and provide municipal housing for families, primarily in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto.
During the “Gebalis 30 Years – Challenges of Municipal Housing Management” conference at Forum Lisboa, attended by various local officials, including those newly elected in the October 12 municipal elections, the current and re-elected Mayor seized the opportunity to thank outgoing Municipal Assembly President, Rosário Farmhouse (an independent elected by the PS), for her work “for the people, above party lines.”
Regarding Gebalis, Carlos Moedas praised the efforts of the municipal company’s workers, who have “the mission of bringing dignity to people” in terms of housing access, providing “more than 22,000 homes.”
“Today, 12% of Lisbon’s population lives in municipal neighborhoods, thanks to Gebalis’s work,” emphasized the PSD city official, noting that during the 2021-2025 mandate, “more than 2,800 keys” were handed over, with plans to continue “building our city” and attract young people to the historic center in the 2025-2029 term.
The social democrat also highlighted Gebalis’s efforts to “make communities thrive” and “create a capacity to dream,” while ensuring fair rule enforcement in housing access, acknowledging that “many [citizens] have been waiting for housing for a long time.”
The conference was initiated by Gebalis President, Fernando Angleu, pointing out that the municipal company’s 30th anniversary on October 2 was delayed due to the electoral campaign, and acknowledged the national mourning for the death of PSD founder Francisco Pinto Balsemão, prompting a minute of silence observed by the audience.
Describing it as “an enormous privilege” to lead Gebalis over the past four years, Fernando Angleu credited his team for working towards “a fairer, more inclusive, and more humane Lisbon,” and highlighted the municipal chamber’s unique focus on housing policy, which repositioned municipal housing as a city priority during this term.
“Over these 30 years, Gebalis’s history has intertwined with Lisbon’s own story. Gebalis grew with the city, adapted to its changes, responded to new challenges, and, above all, maintained a continuous commitment to the people living in our neighborhoods. Today, thanks to the efforts of everyone who has been part of this organization since 1995, often under inadequate conditions and without due recognition, we know that it is a company prepared for challenges and committed to its mission,” he declared.
Fernando Angleu also emphasized the rehabilitation of thousands of units and buildings, reinforced maintenance interventions, and expedited long-needed construction projects, despite acknowledging that “much remains to be done,” apologizing to the families for delays in responses.
“We need a new culture of responsibility, with less misappropriation, fewer breaches, fewer illegal occupations, and less vandalism. When a unit is improperly occupied, when a rent is unpaid, when a shared space is damaged, everyone loses,” he stated, noting that managing municipal housing relies on a “collective commitment” to create neighborhoods where people live with dignity, but also “with a sense of belonging and duty.”
