Thousands of households in Lisbon are still waiting for housing accommodation.
In the AML (Greater Lisbon Area), at least 31,035 families are currently waiting for municipal housing across 16 responding municipalities, as of July 2021. The city of Lisbon alone has the highest number, with approximately 15,700 families on the waiting list.
The city of Barreiro, located within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, has 812 active applications for municipal housing, which corresponds to 3,248 people. It's worth noting that the average per capita income in Barreiro is around 325 euros.
However, the Lisbon Metropolitan Area does not have aggregated data on the number of families awaiting municipal housing. Data for municipalities such as Setúbal (1,963 families), Oeiras (1,467 families), Cascais (1,371 families), and Sintra (approximately 4,000 families) are available, but the exact numbers for other municipalities vary, with some providing precise numbers and others general estimates.
Following Lisbon, Sintra has the second highest number of families waiting for municipal housing. Odivelas, Loures, and Amadora also have significant numbers, with 1,220, approximately 1,000, and approximately 1,200 families awaiting municipal housing, respectively.
It's important to note that two out of the 18 municipalities in the AML (Seixal and Vila Franca de Xira) did not respond to Lusa's request for information.
In addition to the municipal housing waiting lists, there are other housing programmes in Lisbon. For instance, 8,700 families are waiting in the Supported Rental Program, and approximately 7,000 are waiting in the Affordable Rent Program.
While this article provides an overview of the municipal housing situation in the Greater Lisbon Area, it's crucial to consult official publications from the Lisbon City Council, the Portuguese Ministry of Housing, or the Social Housing departments for more specific and up-to-date data.
[1] It's worth mentioning that the Lisbon City Council has been processing 700 illegal housing occupations individually as of mid-2025, involving families with significant social vulnerabilities. However, this concerns illegal occupations rather than official municipal housing waiting lists.
[1] In the realm of general-news, it's worth mentioning that the Lisbon City Council has been addressing illegal housing occupations, with approximately 700 cases processed individually as of mid-2025, involving families with significant social vulnerabilities. This situation is part of the broader politics of housing in the city.
[2] Despite the focus on municipal housing waiting lists, it's also noteworthy that there are other housing programs in Lisbon, such as the Supported Rental Program with 8,700 families waiting, and the Affordable Rent Program with around 7,000 families waiting, which are crucial aspects of the city's housing politics.
