Independent councillor Jorge Afonso Freitas presented a proposal today at the Funchal city council meeting to create a Municipal Observatory on Housing Occupation and the Commercial Identity of Historic Centres.
The initiative aims to give the municipality concrete data on housing conditions across the district, helping identify needs, set priorities and shape municipal housing policy. Freitas argued that, although studies already exist, a permanent monitoring mechanism is needed.
The proposal's second strand focuses on restoring traditional outdoor shop advertising in the historic centres, which he described as part of the city's urban memory and identity.