Coimbra City Council Renovates 50 Homes for Affordable Rent in Downtown Coimbra

About fifty affordable rental apartments are being renovated in downtown Coimbra, the City Council revealed today, noting that it has received 800 housing applications, which have not yet been fully validated. According to Councilman Luís Francisco Filipe, in addition to the three units at Casa das Talhas—for which lease agreements were signed today—there are six more apartments that “are almost ready” on Rua Direita and an equal number that “have been completed in Vale de Figueiras.” There are also two buildings—the Sousa Bastos Theater and a building on Câmara Pestana Street—that are currently in the bidding phase for project design. “As for affordable housing, about 50 apartments are already under construction,” he stated.

On the sidelines of the signing ceremony for subsidized lease agreements at Casa das Talhas, Coimbra Mayor Ana Abrunhosa noted that the projects are focused on the city center. “The goal will always be to breathe new life into the heart of Coimbra and to bring back people who, without this support from the government and the city government, would never have been able to live in the heart of Coimbra,” she maintained. Ana Abrunhosa revealed that 800 people have registered for housing in Coimbra, of whom 500 have already been assessed and approved.

The municipality signed three affordable rental agreements today for housing units built at Casa das Talhas, on Fernandes Tomás Street, in the city’s downtown area. The renovation of Casa das Talhas, as part of the “Rehabilitate to Rent” program, made it possible to create four housing units, three of which will now be occupied under the affordable rental program, while the remaining unit will be allocated to the building’s former owner under a previously reached agreement.

During the session, Ana Abrunhosa emphasized that the property holds “a very special significance for Coimbra” and that today “it is no longer just a historic building or a restored building—it will now become a home.” “For us, preserving heritage does not mean closing it off. Preserving heritage means bringing it to life,” she added.

Plans also include a restaurant and museum space at Casa das Talhas, which will be the next step, according to Councilman Luís Francisco Filipe.

LUSA / Coimbra City Council