Author
The law provides for the right of refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection to housing under the same conditions of foreign nationals legally residing in Portugal,[1] therefore encompassing public housing.[2]
While CPR is not aware of systematic instances of homelessness among beneficiaries of international protection, still in 2025, access to adequate housing is consistently identified as a major issue within the national context by asylum applicants, refugees and NGOs.[3] Factors such as high prices, and contractual demands including high deposits, need of guarantors and proof of income hinder the capacity of asylum applicants and refugees to access the market directly, and that of frontline service providers to increase reception capacity. Consequently, asylum applicants and refugees often have to resort to overcrowded or sub-standard housing options when accessing the private housing market.[4]
Access of beneficiaries of international protection to public housing remains extremely limited for reasons that according to CPR’s experience have traditionally been linked to legal constraints under previous rules, limited stock of available public housing, lack of prioritisation of beneficiaries of international protection in public housing policy and heavy bureaucratic requirements.
Within the context of resettlement, hosting entities are responsible for the provision of accommodation. In the case of resettled refugees supported by CPR, the average length of stay in the centre has increased in recent years, due to challenges in accessing housing in the private market, including rising rents, evictions of families that had already left the reception centre, and growing difficulties in meeting rental requirements such as deposits and guarantors.
Decree-Law 26/2021 of 31 March 2021[5] created, inter alia, a National Pool of Urgent and Temporary Accommodation and a National Plan of Urgent and Temporary Accommodation. Recognising the lack of solutions in this regard, the National Plan aims to create structured responses to people in need of emergency or transition accommodation[6] (see Types of accommodation).
By the end of 2025, the implementation and impact of this legislation in cases involving beneficiaries of international protection was unclear.
[1] Article 74 Asylum Act.
[2] Article 5 Public Leasing Act; Article 5 Regulation 84/2018.
[3] In addition to CPR, this has been identified as a structural obstacle to autonomy by JRS, SCML, Aldeias de Crianças SOS, Crescer, and Associação VITAE in their contributions to the 2025 AIDA Report.
[4] It should be noted that while these issues are not only specific to applicants and beneficiaries of international protection, factors such as the absence of support networks increase their impact in asylum seeking and refugee families.
[5] Available here. The functioning of the National Pool of Urgent and Temporary Accommodation is governed by Ministerial Order 120/2021, 8 June, available at: https://bit.ly/3uEmOLm.
[6] Article 11 Ministerial Order 120/2021, 8 June defines the maximum periods of emergency/transition accommodation – 15 days or 6 months, respectively, that may be renewed for an equal period. A specific regime applies to victims of domestic violence.