Housing Policies in Portugal

Tools for Economic Growth and Urban Transformation

Authors

  • Nuno Travasso Universidade de Coimbra, Departamento de Arquitectura | Universidade do Porto, Centro de Estudos de Arquitectura e Urbanismo, Faculdade de Arquitectura https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6692-720X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14195/2183-8925_43_12

Keywords:

Housing policies, rent gap, urbanisation cycles, real estate market, housing crisis

Abstract

The housing crisis in Portugal has led to the introduction of new public housing policies, sparking intense debate. This paper aims to contribute to the discussion by emphasizing that these policies are not only designed to address the lack of access to decent housing, but also serve as economic policy tools aimed at supporting the construction and real estate sectors.

Drawing from Neil Smith's rent gap theory (1979a, 1979b), the housing policies of the five decades of Portuguese democracy are analyzed, highlighting the relationship they established with private development and how, through this connection, they fostered different urbanization cycles that shaped both the housing market and the urban landscape.

The analysis leads to the hypothesis that the recently introduced policies, named Building Portugal, aim to open a new cycle of urbanization, returning to urban expansion, new construction, and credit as tools for economic stimulation.

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Published

2025-03-25

Issue

Vol. 43 (2025): Cultures of Dwelling

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Revista de História das Ideias

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows sharing the work with recognition of authorship and initial publication in Antropologia Portuguesa journal.