The symbolic ceremony took place at Lisbon City Hall, with the handover of 28 keys to municipal homes, including number 2,000 of the current term.

“This is one of the biggest investments and one of the biggest challenges I have had in my life. “There are 2,000 families who can change their lives and live with more dignity,” said the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (PSD), noting that the housing problem “cannot be solved with a magic wand.”

At the end of the ceremony, in statements to journalists, Carlos Moedas highlighted the work that the local authority had carried out to restore homes that “were closed.”

“In Lisbon, there were no homes for the majority of the population. We were able to go and find homes that were closed and restore them. It is a paradigm shift in relation to previous mandates. We were also able to help 1,500 people pay their rent,” he said.

In total, the Lisbon City Council plans to invest 560 million in the housing sector, using EU funds.

Still, on the subject of housing, Carlos Moedas stressed that the local authority “is studying” the possibility of building more student residences, in order to provide 1,000 more beds for displaced students.

“There are projects with the parish councils, as was the case in Benfica. There is a challenge here and a very active policy. We are providing a solution for the people of Lisbon”, he stated.