Madeira housing investment and Macau residency rights discussed

In Madeira, Pedro Rodrigues has advocated for sustained public investment in housing to address regional shortages. While the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) has accelerated new construction, Rodrigues emphasized that the regional government must continue funding through the Regional Budget and programs like Madeira 2030 to ensure long-term availability. He noted that while public housing accounts for 4% of the regional stock, further mobilization of private and cooperative sectors is necessary to increase supply.

In Macau, José Cesário, leader of the Portuguese Foreign Affairs and Communities Commission, reported positive signals regarding the residency status of Portuguese citizens. Following changes in 2023 that removed preferential access to resident identity cards, Portuguese citizens have largely been classified as non-resident workers. Cesário noted recent appointments of Portuguese magistrates as a sign of continued engagement from the Macau Executive, expressing hope that a new special regime for Portuguese residents will be discussed during upcoming Joint Commission meetings.