Student accommodations at affordable prices

This investment aims to increase the national supply of affordable housing for students by 15,000 beds as accommodation represents one of the biggest barriers in accessing tertiary education. The measure includes the construction of new buildings, rehabilitation of existing buildings and the modernisation and expansion of existing student accommodation units.

The first requalified housing unit was inaugurated in Covilhã on 25 January 2023 and will provide 47 beds distributed over 25 rooms. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa inaugurated it in January 2023 as part of his roadshow of Recovery and Resilience Facility-supported projects. The overall investment, which will stretch across the country, will be supported with a EUR 375 million Recovery and Resilience Facility loan and is expected to be finalised by the end of March 2026. For instance, The Polytechnic Institute of Beja (IPBeja) will build a new student residence with EUR 15 million funding, offering 503 new beds. In Porto, EUR 4.6 million will go towards building a new student residence with 151 new beds in 141 rooms. This is one of two new buildings in Porto, where another four existing buildings will be refurbished to create an overall additional 205 new student beds.

The Female Residence of Penha campus belonging to the University of Algarve will also be renovated. In operation since 1990 some of its rooms are currently closed because they do not offer sufficient living conditions. Their rehabilitation will allow full use of the accommodation. After the renovation of the building, as part of the National Housing Plan in Higher Education (PNAES) - financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility with EUR 1 billion - it will make available 102 beds, spread over 65 rooms, 37 of which are double and 28 individuals. The residence will also have 1 room adapted for persons with reduced mobility.  

More information can be found on the webpage of Recuperar Portugal here, on the site of Algarve University here and on the site of the National Plan for Housing in Higher Education here.