Portugal Offers 477 Empty State Buildings to Councils for Housing

Portugal’s government has sent the country’s municipal councils a list of 477 unused state-owned properties whose management can be handed to local authorities. The buildings could become affordable housing, cultural venues, municipal services or health facilities, according to a joint statement released on Nov. 6.

Councils, known in Portugal as câmaras municipais (city and town halls), have until Dec. 31, 2026, to tell the government which of the properties in their area they want to manage.

Who found the 477 buildings

The properties were identified by Estamo, the state-owned company that manages and develops public real estate. The announcement came from three ministries acting together: Finance, Economy and Territorial Cohesion, and Infrastructure and Housing, Observador and CNN Portugal reported.

Each council received a letter listing the unused public properties located inside its own territory. The ministries said councils may also point to other empty public buildings in their area that are not on the list and ask for those to be transferred as well.

According to the ministries, Estamo finished its register of public properties six months earlier than planned. Properties owned by public institutes, along with those that came from the now-dissolved Regional Health Administrations (Administrações Regionais de Saúde), have also been mapped, bringing the total to 80 thousand, the statement said.

What councils can do with them

The government lists affordable housing as one possible use, but the measure is open to others. Councils could turn the buildings into cultural or social facilities, offices for municipal services or health units. Diário do Distrito reported that the final decision on what happens to each building rests with the local authority, which is expected to fit it into its own development plans.

The government presented the plan as a way to bring empty buildings back into use and respond to local needs at a time when access to housing is getting harder for many people.

What it means for residents

For tenants and people looking for a home in Lisbon and other cities, the plan adds a possible new source of affordable housing, though nothing has been decided yet about any specific building. How many of the 477 properties are in Lisbon or any other municipality was not disclosed. Whether Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (Lisbon City Council) will apply for any of them, and for what purpose, will depend on its own review of the list.

The plan moves the management of the buildings to councils, and each council decides how its buildings are used.

Earlier transfers since 2024

This is not the first such handover. Since 2024, the central government has transferred 95 properties to 64 municipalities, which the ministries said corresponds to an investment of €80 million. The government says moving the management of public buildings to councils is one of its priorities.

What happens next

Councils will now go through the properties on their lists. The deadline to tell the government which buildings they want is Dec. 31, 2026. After that, any transfers and the plans for each building will be set by the councils that take them on.

Sources: Diário do Distrito, Observador, CNN Portugal