One of the main investment projects financed by the PRR is underway, thanks to the support of the European Union – Next GenerationEU, with the aim of providing affordable housing for all, promoting a more inclusive and humane city.
The laying of the first stone was marked on June 26, in a ceremony that brought together the City Council, Gaiurb, and the company responsible for the work, Casais.
"What we are doing today is clearly different from what was done in the past. Before, housing was built, and well, to meet a specific purpose. Today, what we are doing is improving the city, providing solutions that are not only about building housing, but also about improving people's quality of life," said António Miguel Castro, chairman of the board of directors of Gaiurb.
António Miguel Castro highlighted other objectives that are now part of municipal housing policies, namely the Local Housing Strategy and the 1st Right program: "What we want is to build in places like this, close to public transportation, schools, supermarkets, everything that surrounds us, and not to isolate people. We want buildings that give rise to happy communities, which in turn give rise to happy cities."
“No one is going back to the old models of social housing. Here, we have an area that will be socially inclusive and diverse, we have everything we need to build a better and more inclusive city,” said Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues, mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia.
Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues defended the importance of connecting with the private sector when it comes to the model adopted for implementing projects under his local housing strategy. “It would be very important for politicians to listen to companies and entrepreneurs so that we can rid ourselves of this climate of prejudice that affects us all, that takes away our freedom of thought and creativity, and that forces us to conform to a standard of bureaucracy that hinders us all and makes everything more expensive,” he lamented.
“Gaia is an example of how private initiative can be mobilized,” said António Carlos Rodrigues, CEO of Grupo Casais, the company responsible for the construction. "We feel confident about the whole process. We felt that it was a plan and not just a political slogan, and that there was a real motivation to deliver these units to the residents," he added. This affordable rental housing development is the first project by the Casais Group developed in partnership with a municipality.
A housing development with 90 apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms
The project involves the construction of two buildings with a total of 90 apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms and the respective exterior landscaping.
This project contributes to an increasingly sustainable sector and has an equally positive social impact - Well Built For Well Living. In other words, it is a construction solution that offers a balance between quality and functionality, with a special focus on issues related to operation and maintenance.
The constructive solution adopted by the company is based on a system for producing sustainable hybrid buildings with less polluting effects, based on modular prefabrication and a scalable platform, involving all stakeholders. Prefabrication involves several off-site solutions that integrate concerns with environmental sustainability, the occupational health of future users, and energy efficiency.
Gaia strengthens its affordable rental offering
One of the main investment projects financed by the PRR is underway, thanks to the support of the European Union – Next GenerationEU, with the aim of providing affordable housing for all, promoting a more inclusive and humane city.
Also underway, at a very advanced stage, is the construction in Pedroso of two multi-family buildings, also under the 1st Right Program, for a total of 60 dwellings (types T1, T2, and T3), with an investment of around €12 million.
The homes are expected to be delivered in June 2026, under the affordable rental model (for which tenders will be opened in due course by Gaiurb, in the same way as has been done previously).
Image credits: © Gaiurb
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
