In Portugal, the lack of inclusive housing policies has long restricted access to adequate housing, fueling an insolvent residential demand. Many have turned to informal urbanization as a precarious means of securing their right to housing. This is particularly evident in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, where Bairro da Cova da Moura, a self-built neighborhood in Amadora, spans 16.5 hectares on Lisbon’s outskirts. For the last 50 years, Cova da Moura has been caught between stigmatizing media portrayals of an “unsafe place” and local narratives emphasizing its strong social fabric and cultural dynamism. Built largely on private land, this multicultural place has faced a prolonged and complex regularization process, with various interventions failing to provide a definitive solution. This paper examines the potential of a Community Land Trust (CLT) as a strategy to secure tenure rights and ensure access to affordable, decent housing in Cova da Moura. The paper outlines the steps to formalize the CLT, the legal and institutional challenges it faces, and possible strategies to navigate Portugal’s regulatory framework. A bridge with other experiences in similar contexts is made, like the Brazilian case. Finally, the paper discusses how this model contributes to critical urban planning, particularly in advancing spatial justice, community participation, sustainability, housing de-commodification, and resistance to gentrification. It advocates for urban regeneration driven by the common good rather than market interests, using CLT as a tool for housing justice.

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