The rehabilitation of a vacant building, which will give rise to two public housing units for affordable rent for middle-income families, was consigned to Alte on 22 April.
Located in a block between Rua Isidoro Rodrigues Pontes, Rua Plácido Sousa Vieira and Rua das Almas, the property, which dates back to the 13th century and is in an advanced state of disrepair, will be completely rebuilt, incorporating modern water, sewage, electricity and telecommunications infrastructures. The investment, totalling around 325,000 euros, is part of the Loulé municipality’s Local Housing Strategy and has an execution time of 365 days.
The deputy mayor of Loulé, David Pimentel, emphasised the symbolism of this intervention, stressing that ‘we need to do more for our countryside’, in a clear commitment to fixing the population, boosting the economy and preserving local identity. For his part, the president of the Alte Parish Council, António Martins, warned of the risk of desertification in the village, which, despite receiving around 100,000 visitors a year, only has 1,544 residents. The lack of affordable housing has been identified as one of the main factors behind the demographic decline in the interior of the Algarve.