The ‘Casas da Aldeia’ project, in Barcelos, will be completed by the end of the first half of 2025 and will house persons with impairments or incapacities who are able to live independently. The project, which has a budget of more than 2 million euros, is partially financed by The Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), according to a statement made by the Vale do Homem Social Centre (CSVH).

The goal of this project, which will lead to the hiring of 20 human resources, is to provide the framework for a more inclusive life project, which includes, among other things, integration in the workplace, training, and assistance with day-to-day activities. The foundation of this project is the block of 27-person apartments with a “cohousing” identity — a sustainable kind of cooperative housing — in the parish of Alvito S. Pedro.

Casas da Aldeia is “a unique and innovative response” in the municipality of Barcelos, according to Jorge Pereira, president of CSVH. As he said, “It is a truly unique project, which includes people with disabilities – individually or in families – and which manages, among other skills, to guarantee the training component in daily life activities, in order to prepare these people who have some type of limitation to be better prepared for the world of work”.

The Rosa Pinheiro Museum and the Centre for Activities and Training for Inclusion, which are part of the second phase of the project and satisfy sustainable development goals, will also be constructed in the Casas da Aldeia space.