By Andrea Hargraves 
They are homes for young people, and have common areas with co-working spaces, bicycle parking, vegetable gardens, cross-training rooms and pre-installation of electric vehicle charging. It comes at a discounted price to help find solutions to the housing crisis. The first affordable housing project to be promoted by private parties has already made its debut in Faro, but will have a new life in Lisbon and Porto, signed by GFH and financed by Santander Bank, which saw in the idea a strong environmental, social and governance component, which It fits with Santander's goal of “supporting its customers in the transition to a green economy and reducing social and economic inequalities, contributing to a more just, inclusive and sustainable society.”
The bank explains to SAPO that it makes sense to have a voice in this project with financing classified as green and facilitating terms that include taking into account “the relationship with the client, the amount, the deadline, the project guarantees” https://www.sapo.pt/noticias/atualidade/ artigos/“In this case, because we evaluated all these conditions positively, we were able to offer competitive (financing) terms,” explains an official source at Santander.
The first 90 apartments, of types T1, T2 and T3, are now ready for occupancy and have all been allocated, with values ranging between 140 and 230 thousand euros – needless to say, demand has far outstripped supply, with around 1,000 applications – 60% of the homes are intended for young people up to 35 years of age. And 20% for people with disabilities. Following the “current living concept, which includes a sustainable and energy-efficient building model (Class A+) and with LiderA certification”, which promotes the sustainability of the buildings, the BeLiving project foresees another nine residential units in the Algarve and in the urban areas of Lisbon and Porto for a total of one thousand apartments.
As for SAPO, João Moreira, director of GFH, which promoted BeLiving, says that the company “has a long history of promoting affordable housing”, having, in the last three years, “developed and improved the formula to reach practically an affordable price”. market.” With the housing crisis and no quick solutions in sight, and despite repeated announcements of new homes and even the creation of a ministry to respond to the problem, GFH decided to get into action. “We have always wanted to be part of the solution and have an impact.” on the sector, and we know that by promoting these housing projects, we will also contribute to the transformation of the housing market, with a new affordable offer, which “responds to the housing needs of all sectors, through the BeLiving brand, with simple and sophisticated designs, with a particular focus On the user experience,” Joao Moreira explains to SAPO.
The initiative arose from the need to provide private housing to a segment of the population facing difficulties in the traditional real estate market, but the administrator confirms that the idea is not for this project to replace public solutions, but rather to complement them: “It is GFH’s commitment to address housing issues in an innovative, sustainable and responsible way.” socially.”
As for the planned investment for the entire portfolio, which is allocated to 1,000 new homes to respond to this group of people who cannot find solutions, the GFH Director indicates a total volume of 350 million euros. “We already have projects underway in the municipalities of Amadora and Oeiras in Lisbon. In Porto, we already have projects for Santo Tirso and Vila Nova de Gaia,” he explains further. For Lisbon and Porto, expect to be able to get an offer on T1 apartments starting at €150,000, T2 starting at €200,000 and T3 starting at €250,000.
How can you screen multiple candidates searching for a home and can they get an answer based on their potential? João Moreira explains that since it is affordable housing, according to the law, these houses can be sold to own or rented on a rental basis, but he distinguishes the offer from the old EPUL offer. “Our projects are entirely privately promoted, but at affordable prices. Housing prices covered by this scheme vary from municipality to municipality and are determined by site criteria and construction quality, with the maximum always set by the IHRU, usually 20%.” To 30% less than the market,” he said in an interview with Sabo.