‘It's a gift to the city, because the young people and researchers who will occupy this building will bring life and energy to the heart of the city, they will bring the irreverence of youth and contribute to building a more cosmopolitan, dynamic, vibrant and lively city,’ said the Mayor of Famalicão, Mário Passos.

Located in the city centre, in Praça D. Maria II, the Vila - Student Residence has the capacity to accommodate 91 residents, spread over 53 rooms of five different types, including single and double rooms and studios and rooms adapted for people with reduced mobility. The investment totalled 5.4 million euros, of which 3.4 million came from the National Plan for Accommodation in Higher Education (PNAES), supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), in partnership with the Erasmus+ Education and Training National Agency.

At the ceremony, the director of the Erasmus+ Agency, Ana Cristina Perdigão, praised the space ‘for occupying the heart of the city and thus bringing young students into the heart of social and cultural realities, contributing to their integration and to an experience that goes beyond academic training’.

It should be remembered that the Vila will serve the four higher education institutions based in the municipality of Famalicão - the Polytechnic and University Higher Education Cooperative (CESPU), the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), the University of Minho and Lusíada University and the research centres based here, namely CITEVE and CeNTI. The infrastructure is the result of the refurbishment and extension of the old municipal environmental services building.

"The choice of inaugurating the Vila on City Day was no coincidence. Today, as well as celebrating our history, our identity and our journey, we are also celebrating our future and pointing the way to what we want to be: a city that is open to knowledge, that grows and welcomes dreams. A city that values its young people, a city of opportunities for all," added Mário Passos.

The building that has now been inaugurated includes various functional areas, such as a reception, study room, indoor and outdoor dining and socialising space, kitchens, sanitary facilities, technical rooms, staff support area, management areas, storage and a garage/workshop for bicycles.

It should be remembered that the first phase of applications for accommodation in Vila Nova de Famalicão is open until 31 July, for the time being for displaced students on scholarships who are attending bachelor's, higher vocational technical and master's degree courses at higher education establishments based in Vila Nova de Famalicão in the 2024/2025 academic year and students with complementary accommodation away from home who want accommodation for the 2025/2026 academic year.