Founded in 2018, Nossa Vila Nossa Casa, CRL Cooperativa de Habitação, is currently building around 100 homes. Construction has already begun on the first 16. In Pico da Pedra, the cooperative members acquired land for the construction of fifty-five houses. Rui Tavares, chairman of the board, explains why the solution for affordable housing in the Azores involves partnerships between the government, local authorities, and the cooperative.

DL: Nossa Vila Nossa Casa, CRL Cooperativa de Habitação began construction of the first houses in Rabo de Peixe. What does this moment represent?

This moment is truly historic. It is the realization of a shared vision, built over years with dedication, resilience, and collective commitment. It is a concrete response to the housing needs of many families who, unfortunately, do not fit into current public policies and cannot access the conventional housing market.

We knew from the outset that this journey would be fraught with challenges: bureaucratic obstacles, technical limitations, and financial difficulties. However, we remained true to our greater purpose: to ensure decent, affordable, and sustainable housing.

It was through the collective work of management, technicians, and cooperators that we were able to get this far. Every step taken, every obstacle overcome, was possible thanks to the unity and cooperative spirit that guides us.

DL: In addition to this project, does Nossa Vila Nossa Casa, CRL have any other projects in the pipeline?

In addition to this project, we are developing four more projects, two in Rabo de Peixe, one in Pico da Pedra, and another in Santa Bárbara. Currently, the projects we are developing are located in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, but we can promote affordable housing in any city or territory.

DL: What does Nossa Vila Nossa Casa, CRL Housing Cooperative represent for young couples who are looking for a home and are unable to purchase at current market prices?

Hope. I think this is the keyword that currently represents the expectations of young couples, and not only young couples, in terms of access to their own home. I believe that Nossa Vila Nossa Casa, CRL, represents much more than just a housing option. It is a real, community-based solution for young couples to own their own home at fair prices.

Faced with pressure from the international and national markets, with average prices in Portugal above €2,700/m² and increases of 10-16% in houses in Ponta Delgada, we quickly realized that prices may stabilize, but they will not decrease. This situation is particularly dramatic for young couples.

DL: How did the idea of creating a housing cooperative come about, and what steps have been taken since its inception?

This idea originated in 2018, when the municipality of Ribeira Grande issued a challenge to the community to promote local housing. We began this journey by registering the cooperative in September 2018 and acquiring our first plot of land in March 2019. Given the huge demand and number of registrations for the cooperative, in September 2020, the Ribeira Grande City Council granted us our first plot of land.

In June 2022, the cooperative members acquired new land in the parish of Pico da Pedra, and in June 2023, the local authority granted us two more plots of land.

These dates are important so that citizens can be properly informed about the cooperative’s longevity and the timeline of its projects. These steps of acquisition and, above all, the granting of land were fundamental to our action. Without the municipality’s support in granting the land, it would be unthinkable to have projects of the scale we currently have.

As Nossa Vila Nossa Casa, CRL, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide affordable housing, another significant step was the dialogue and commitment with the Government of the Azores to support the implementation of the infrastructure for this first project. The transfer of the land and the support for its infrastructure are decisive steps for the provision of affordable housing.

All steps are important, but I believe that the most significant step in this journey is defining our procedures, seeking best practices, and a formula to replicate in current and future projects.

This is an essential step because we have a vision for the future, so that what has already happened with other housing cooperatives in the Azores does not happen again.

I believe that the next step will be to start new projects with the support of local authorities and the Government of the Azores. We are doing our part; we are actively seeking solutions to the housing crisis.

I hope to start a new cycle of steps, beginning with the land, preliminary study, followed by the participation of cooperative members in the choice and design of the homes, preparation of specialized projects, licensing of projects, financial support for infrastructure, execution of infrastructure, source of financing for construction, ending with the delivery of the home to our cooperative member.

That will be the magical moment, the living proof that dreams, when conceived together, when executed in partnership, will become the accessible reality that many families long for.

DL: Does the future of affordable housing in the Azores lie in more housing cooperatives?

I have no doubt that promoting affordable housing lies in the development of housing cooperatives. I am sure that we will only achieve a public market for affordable housing if housing cooperatives are involved in the process. My convictions are based on the knowledge I have acquired throughout this process. The sustainability of the housing supply for purchase and, above all, for rent in the Azores must include housing cooperatives.

And yes, more housing cooperatives can appear in the Azores, but we have to think strategically. The proliferation of housing cooperatives could have a perverse effect without proper sustainability planning. We cannot make the same mistakes of the past. If we do, it will once again be a waste of public money, indirectly contributing to inflation in housing prices. Consider the example of the latest housing cooperative in the Azores.

The triad of housing cooperatives, municipalities, and government is the ideal strategy for the short, medium, and, above all, long term to sustain the availability of affordable housing in terms of private and collective ownership. Only with the involvement of housing cooperatives in collective ownership can we have an affordable rental market. Only with a strong policy of support for housing cooperatives can we also reduce the population exodus we are witnessing.

Opportunities for improvement and constraints have been identified; we have proposals and a path for the future. Our commitment is to build more than just affordable housing; it is to build bonds, identity, and hope.

Acácio Mateus is a collaborator of Diário da Lagoa, under the direction of Clife Botelho.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.