During a debate on RTP3 featuring the seven candidates for the Coimbra City Council, housing issues dominated the exchanges between the candidates.
Current Mayor José Manuel Silva, who is running for re-election with the Juntos Somos Coimbra coalition (PSD/IL/CDS/NC/PPM/MPT/V), defended his administration’s achievements over the past four years, highlighting a 40 million euro investment at Quinta das Bicas in Taveiro, which involves the construction of over 200 public housing units and plans for more affordable rental properties, including some at the former Sousa Bastos Theater.
The mayor attributed the rising housing costs in the city to past delays in licensing processes, noting that his administration has doubled the licensed construction area “year on year.”
Ana Abrunhosa, the candidate from the Avançar Coimbra coalition (PS/L/PAN), also identified licensing delays as a persistent issue in the municipality. Alongside streamlining these processes, she promised to build 1,000 new affordable rental units within one term.
This proposal caught José Manuel Silva’s attention during the debate, but Ana Abrunhosa insisted that “it is possible to create a thousand and even more,” citing available municipal land and potential partnerships with housing cooperatives and construction companies.
Francisco Queirós from CDU advocated for support of “the cooperative movement” and argued that ongoing efforts in social housing construction needed to “go further.”
He noted that 826 families in the municipality were identified as needing housing, emphasizing that resolving this issue cannot be achieved solely through local policies.
José Manuel Pureza of the Left Bloc suggested a survey of vacant properties in the municipality while criticizing the major coalitions’ housing policies.
The candidate and former deputy referred to the Quinta das Bicas project as “a mistake” and criticized Ana Abrunhosa for making “propaganda videos for construction companies, which are quickly removed from social media.”
Chega’s candidate, Maria Lencastre Portugal, highlighted “numerous vacant buildings in Coimbra” and proposed helping owners rehabilitate them “through agreements and discussions.”
Additionally, she noted that land allocated in approved developments should be utilized, particularly in partnerships with the existing local cooperative (Cooperativa Mondego).
ADN’s candidate, Sancho Antunes, criticized construction delays and proposed a program that invites “owners of empty and abandoned houses to hand them over to the council, which will refurbish and rent them out.”
Tiago Martins, the candidate from Nova Direita, called for “housing inspections” and expressed belief in the feasibility of building the 1,000 homes promised by Ana Abrunhosa.
“Why are there so many houses falling apart?” he questioned.
The municipal executive consists of 11 councilors, with Juntos Somos Coimbra holding six seats, PS five, and CDU one.
