To create 50 affordable housing units, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), the Lisbon City Council approved the sale of municipal land in Benfica to the parish council for €1.8 million. The project, which was presented by the Benfica Parish Council to the Housing and Urban Rehabilitation Institute (IHRU), covers a total area of 2,677 square meters.
Presenting the plan, Carlos Moedas said, "It's a great chance to build more housing" Nonetheless, the PS councillor Inês Drummond noted that talks between the parish and the chamber have been ongoing for nearly a year, and expressed that the proposal "feels a little late", as the deadline for PRR applications for the purchase, construction, and requalification of residential properties ended on 31 March, just 4 days after the announcement. The PS councillor expressed concern and disappointment over the lack of council proposals to buy properties to expand the housing stock. "Lisbon is at risk of losing 70 million euros of PRR", she said.
The mayor stated his willingness to "agree accounts" with the board president to ensure that the implementation of the affordable housing project in Benfica will not be set back by the need to support the council in an amount that will not be supported by the PRR, given that the approved application is €1.6 million and €200 thousand remain to purchase the land.
The 17 members that make up the Lisbon Chamber's executive are as follows: three from PS, two from PCP, three from Cidadãos Por Lisboa (selected by the PS/Livre coalition), one from Livre, and one from BE. The seven members that make up the Novos Tempos coalition (PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança) are the only ones with assigned responsibilities and govern without an absolute majority.