In a public council meeting, the Socialist Party’s (PS) proposal was unanimously approved, even as the Mayor, Carlos Moedas of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), acknowledged the financial viability, stating, “if there is financial capacity, it is obviously an excellent proposal,” but noting that the municipality “does not have that space in the budget.”
“When we make a proposal, we need to have the money to execute it,” cautioned the social democrat, mentioning that the PSD/CDS-PP leadership, during their three and a half years in office, has handed over 2,457 keys to homes and provided 1,182 rental supports, aiding a total of 3,639 families.
Introduced in February, the PS proposal aims to “expand and complement the public housing stock” by allowing the Lisbon City Council to acquire properties with the potential to be converted into housing units.
The objective is to address “one of the worst problems faced by Lisbon residents: finding houses at affordable prices.”
With the proposal’s approval, the council mandates municipal services to evaluate the acquisition of 17 properties located in Lisbon that the Government is preparing to sell, “with a view to their acquisition as a supplement to the municipal public housing stock.”
As part of the State Budget for 2025, the Government selected 19 properties owned by the State for sale in the real estate market, 17 of which are located in Lisbon, the PS indicated, mentioning that among these properties in the capital are “the building that until recently was the Ministry of Education on Avenida 24 de Julho, or the old building of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers on Avenida Gomes Teixeira.”
In this meeting, the council also approved a motion by the Livre party to restore the railway service to Lisbon, with the majority of points being passed unanimously, including the decision to urge the Ministry of Infrastructures to recommend to CP the immediate restoration of service on the Cascais Line and to prompt Fertagus to reinforce the fleet “to mitigate overcrowding problems and meet the quality standards and service levels required of public transport.”
In response to the PS and BE, the mayor stated that the installation process of the Artistas Unidos theater company at a location in Xabregas, seized by the court, will be resolved “within a month,” the Hot Clube de Portugal will receive a grant of 240,000 euros for works, to be secured in April, and the Academia de Amadores de Música will be housed in a building on Avenida de Berna, with negotiations underway with the Government for a “full rent discount, only a more symbolic rent.”
The Citizens for Lisbon questioned the PSD/CDS-PP leadership about the increase in drug use and the intervention strategy, to which Carlos Moedas highlighted the protocol between the council and the Institute for Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies (ICAD) and praised the role of ICAD’s president, João Goulão, who announced his retirement in December while still awaiting a successor.
City Councillor for Social Rights, Sofia Athayde (CDS-PP), emphasized the focus on addiction prevention areas and stated that the council “even works beyond its competencies,” with “rigor and humanism,” focusing the response on two dimensions: health and safety.
Unanimously, the council approved proposals submitted by Carlos Moedas for the recognition and distinction of the Sociedade Filarmónica Alunos Esperança as an entity of historical, cultural, or social local interest and, after a secret ballot, the awarding of the Municipal Medal of Cultural Merit to Luís Louro, an illustrator, designer, photographer, and author of Portuguese comic books.
Also through a secret ballot, with 16 votes in favor and one against, the awarding of the City Honor Medal to the Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa and, with 16 in favor and one null vote, the awarding of the Municipal Medal of Cultural Merit to the Centro Nacional de Cultura was approved.
Currently, the Lisbon City Council executive, which consists of 17 members, includes seven elected from the “New Times” coalition (PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Alliance) – who are the only ones with assigned portfolios and who govern without an absolute majority -, three from the PS, two from the PCP, three from the Citizens for Lisbon (elected by the PS/Livre coalition), one from the Livre, and one from the BE.
