Port and Cabnave workers decry lack of affordable housing near Mindelo

Steady jobs, unaffordable housing

Many port and shipyard workers must commute from distant neighbourhoods.

Rents that have outpaced wages

Rent near the port now runs to around 30,000 CVE a month.

A problem affecting competitiveness

The lack of housing is making it harder to retain skilled workers.

Calls for land for workers' housing

Unions are calling for public land near the port area to be set aside.

A growing port, a neighbourhood left behind

Mindelo has seen a pickup in activity in recent years at both the commercial port and the Cabnave shipyard, driving up the hiring of technical and operational staff. However, the housing supply in neighbourhoods near the port has not grown at the same pace. Workers with stable contracts end up competing for the same limited rental stock as the rest of Mindelo's population. Industry unions believe this imbalance has worsened over the past five years.

The cost of living far from work

Those who cannot find rental housing near the port have to commute from outlying neighbourhoods, adding to travel time and transport costs. This is especially problematic for the early-morning shifts common at the shipyard. Some workers choose to share housing with several colleagues to cut their monthly outgoings. Cabnave's management acknowledges that shift logistics become more complicated when staff live far away.

Comparison with Praia and Sal

Port workers point out that the problem is not unique to São Vicente, citing similar situations among tourism staff in Sal or public employees in Praia. In every case, sector wages have failed to keep pace with urban rents. Analysts of the Cape Verdean property market attribute this gap to sustained demand growth against a housing supply that is expanding only slowly. São Vicente, however, presents the most visible case given how much port employment weighs on its local economy.

Negotiations under way

Union representatives have put to the Câmara Municipal de São Vicente a request to set aside specific public land for housing aimed at maritime sector workers. The proposal envisages preferential access conditions for employees with permanent contracts at the port or at Cabnave. The council has shown willingness to consider the proposal, though no project or timeline has yet been agreed. Unions warn that, without progress, the problem could end up affecting the island's ability to retain skilled staff.