ADN Madeira has called on the Regional Government to examine whether public revenue from tourism could help fund more affordable housing, as families across the region struggle to find homes within their means.
In a statement signed by Mara Faria on Wednesday, the 11th of November, the party urged the Government to look at new ways to finance housebuilding, renovation and rental programmes.
ADN acknowledged the roughly €81 million allocated to housing in Madeira’s 2026 Regional Budget and the programmes already underway. However, it said these measures would fall short of meeting existing needs, citing the Regional Government’s April 2026 estimate that Madeira needed around 4,000 homes.
Faria pointed to the more than 12.9 million tourist overnight stays recorded in 2025 and a 17.4% year-on-year rise in median rents for new tenancies in the second quarter of 2026. The party said the figures alone did not establish a direct link between tourism growth and rising rents, but argued that both should inform the region’s development priorities.
Referring to the walking trail fee increases due in April 2027, Faria said money earmarked for nature conservation, levada maintenance and visitor safety must be spent on those purposes. She called for a broader review of whether other public revenue from tourism and economic activity could support existing housing programmes.
The party wants the Government to assess how much room there is in the budget and explore new sources of funding, partnerships and investment that could help build or renovate more homes without diverting money from essential services or introducing unnecessary taxes.
ADN also called for greater transparency, saying the public should know how much housing projects cost, who is responsible for delivering them and how many homes ultimately reach families.
“We don’t want less tourism. We want the success of tourism to also be reflected in the quality of life of those who live in Madeira,” Faria said.
She argued that Madeira should judge its progress by whether people can afford a home and build a future in the region, alongside visitor numbers and tourism revenue.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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