Azores Regional Government considers declaring part of Terceira an urban pressure zone and boosts rental aid

Terceira on the radar of regional housing policy

Areas of Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória are being considered for designation as urban pressure zones.

Direct rental assistance

Rental support programmes for young people and the elderly are being strengthened.

Protected housing in the island's municipalities

New pools of protected housing are being developed in partnership with local councils.

Reactions from the property sector

Calls are being made for price controls to be matched with incentives for new construction.

Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória in the spotlight

The Governo Regional dos Açores is considering extending to these two municipalities the urban pressure zone tools already applied in Ponta Delgada. The measure would allow certain short-term rental operations to be restricted and make it easier for public authorities to intervene in the housing market. A final decision is expected before the end of the current regional term.

Rental assistance aimed at young people and the elderly

The new rental support schemes give priority to people under 35 and elderly residents on low pensions. The regional housing secretariat estimates that several hundred households on the island could benefit from the aid in its first year. Residents' associations are calling for the application process, currently seen as slow, to be streamlined.

Protected housing pools through municipal cooperation

The regional government is negotiating with Terceira's town councils over the transfer of public land to build new protected housing developments. Angra do Heroísmo already has a first project under study, on a former municipal plot. Praia da Vitória is assessing a similar approach linked to the area around the old air base.

The property sector calls for measures on the supply side too

Developers and estate agents on the island warn that restricting short-term rentals without incentivising new construction could shrink the available housing stock even further. They are calling for tax breaks for those who renovate empty homes for long-term rental. The regional government has opened talks with the sector to weigh these proposals before passing final regulations.