Câmara Municipal da Boa Vista launches programme for 200 social housing units on public land

Public land for affordable housing

Municipal plots on the outskirts of Sal Rei are being transferred for 200 social housing units.

Budget and eligibility conditions

The estimated cost is around 350,000,000 CVE, with a subsidised price of 4,200,000 CVE per home.

Requirements and allocation criteria

Priority is given to low-income families employed in tourism or construction.

Reactions to the announcement

Clear delivery timelines are being demanded after delays in previous programmes.

A response to Sal Rei's rapid growth

Sal Rei has seen notable population growth over the past decade, driven by the arrival of workers drawn by the tourism sector and the construction linked to the island's new resorts. This growth has pushed up housing prices in the urban centre and surrounding areas, pricing out much of the lower-income workforce that sustains that same tourism economy. The 200-home programme aims to respond directly to this population, which until now has found few affordable alternatives. The Câmara Municipal regards the initiative as one of the most ambitious undertaken in Boa Vista in the field of social housing.

The figures behind the project

With an estimated cost of 350,000,000 CVE and a subsidised price of 4,200,000 CVE per home, the programme is being funded through a combination of municipal funds and central Government support lines. Each home will include basic water, sanitation and electricity infrastructure as part of the development plan. Construction is expected to proceed in phases, prioritising plots where infrastructure is already available. The council has not yet specified a full timetable for delivering the 200 units.

Who will be eligible for the homes

The allocation criteria give priority to low-income families working in the tourism or construction sectors, two of Boa Vista's main sources of employment. Applicants will need to prove continuous residence in the municipality and not own another home on the island. A municipal committee will assess applications using a points system that takes into account income, number of children and length of residence. Tourism worker groups have called for transparency to be guaranteed throughout the selection process.

The shadow of previous programmes

Similar programmes carried out in previous years in Boa Vista suffered significant delays, in some cases of several years, between the initial announcement and the actual handover of homes. Some families who benefited from those earlier programmes complained at the time about a lack of communication regarding realistic construction timelines. The Câmara Municipal says it has revised the design of the new programme to avoid repeating those mistakes, though it has not detailed specific public monitoring mechanisms. Residents and social groups insist that the project's credibility will depend on the announced deadlines being met this time.