I don’t disagree with the sentiment of your comment, but I feel it lacks some nuance.
First of all, where are those empty houses located? A lot of the pressure is in larger urban areas: Lisboa, Porto, Braga, Coimbra. If the houses are away from an urban centre, they might as well not exist.
Portugal also has a huge emigrant community, and it’s common for emigrants to have a house back in the home country, usually in more rural areas, but not always. These houses are a little retirement plan, and tend to stay unoccupied for months or years, only used when that owner goes to Portugal on holidays, or when/if they decide to return.
Exactly! Remote work available to more people would also help.
Cities are starting to feel all the same now, so I love staying rural, no food delivery, enjoying what each season brings, and buying less stuff. Cities are hot, full of cars and noise.