en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Ponta Delgada City Council is implementing an investment plan of approximately €18 million to build 102 new homes, the largest housing initiative in the city's history. Funding sources include the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and the "First Right" program, aiming to expand the local housing supply.

At a special municipal council meeting on the state of the municipality, Mayor Pedro Nascimento Cabral noted that the city government's financial strategy has achieved a balance between tax reduction and strategic public investment, particularly in the housing sector. He stated that the goal is to sustain investment in this area beyond the PRR implementation period and emphasized that addressing housing issues also requires the participation of the Regional Government of the Azores and private capital.

In addition to the housing sector, the City Council plans to invest €6.1 million in the cultural sector in 2026, when Ponta Delgada will serve as the Portuguese Capital of Culture. Meanwhile, the city government will provide €1 million to the University of the Azores to support the construction of a new university dormitory accommodating 120 students, aiming to alleviate student housing pressure.

At the same meeting, the regulations for the municipal volunteer program named "Unir.Gerações" (Unite.Generations) were approved. The program aims to increase housing availability for higher education students by arranging for university students to share rentals with elderly individuals, while also helping to reduce loneliness among the elderly population.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Pedro Nascimento Cabral reiterated that the municipal strategy will continue to be based on three fundamental pillars: low tax rates, strict fiscal management, and investment in housing, culture, education, and infrastructure, viewing these as the core of Ponta Delgada's sustainable development.