University of Porto receives 11.3 million euros to create and rehabilitate student accommodation

University of Porto saw approved the allocation of funding of 11.3 million euros, which will be applied in the creation of two new residences and upgrading of four existing ones until mid-2025, it was announced this Monday.

In a note published on its official website, the University of Porto reveals that the funding of 11.3 million, under the National Plan for Accommodation in Higher Education (PNAES) will enable 205 new beds for students.

Of the six applications from the University of Porto approved for funding from the Recovery and Resilience Program (PRR), the "largest slice", corresponding to 4.6 million euros, "is intended" to implement a new residence, on the street of Boa Hora, in the building currently occupied by the headquarters of the Sports Centre of the U.Porto and some classrooms of the Faculty of Fine Arts (FBAUP).

"The future Boa Hora Residence will have 151 beds, distributed by 141 rooms. A number that will allow quadrupling the offer of accommodation at Polo I (centre) of U.Porto, currently limited to 74 beds at the Aníbal Cunha Residence and Bandeirinha Residence", explains U.Porto, stating that this residence will be installed until mid 2025.

The other new university residence will be located in Viela da Carvalhosa, in Cedofeita, in a building that is being renovated next to the old Pharmacy Faculty.

The future Carvalhosa Student Residence will have capacity for 54 beds and should be completed by May 2023, with a funding of 1.5 million euros from the RRP.

Five of the 11.3 million euros will allow the renovation of four residences until the end of 2024: Alberto Amaral (€1.5 million), Campo Alegre III (€400,000), Jayme Rios de Sousa (€972,000) and Novais Barbosa (€2.3 million).

The four interventions will have a total cost of seven million euros, covering a total of 700 beds.

In the publication, the University of Porto highlights that altogether, the six approved projects will involve a "total investment of 18.7 million euros", of which, 7.5 million euros will be provided by the institution.

Quoted in the note, the rector of the University of Porto, António de Sousa Pereira, points out that with this approval, the institution "takes another important step in combating the lack of affordable student accommodation in the city.

Currently, the University of Porto offers nine university residences, spread over the three poles, with a capacity to accommodate 1 072 students.