THE FULLER CENTER FOR HOUSING - PROTUGAL

September 2025

Portugal was my second Fuller Center for Housing build, the first being Romania in 2024.

The Fuller Center is a USA based non-profit organization that seeks to eradicate poverty housing by promoting partnerships with individuals and community groups to build and rehabilitate homes for people in need. Since launching in 2005, The Fuller Center has covenant partners throughout the USA and in 20 other countries. All homeowners work hand-in-hand with volunteers to build their own homes, which are then sold to them on terms they can afford. For more information visit - The fuller Center

In Portugal, The Fuller Center for Housing partners with a Portuguese charity, Associação Humanitária Domus. The Fuller Center Portugal focuses on rebuilding or completing homes, with most of the projects focused on the rural areas on the outskirts of the cities. Each home project is different, starting with what is already built and utilizing as much of the existing construction as possible.

Homes include simple yet modern kitchens, and bathrooms that provide sanitation and access for those who may lack mobility, now or in the future. Other important elements — often made available to these families for the first time in their lives — are hot water, finished floors, gas stoves and heating. 

Our build team was very small – only four members. The team leader was Perry Shull who has led many Fuller trips to Portugal. The other three team members were myself and a father and daughter, Bob and Megan. Photos of the Team

Our accommodation in Braga was Domus House, which is essentially a private compound owned and run by Associação Humanitária Domus. It is a vary large house with beautiful grounds, a full kitchen and room for at least 16 guests. There was another, much larger, fuller build team staying with us at Domus House. They were in Braga for a week of bicycling in the Braga area and then a week of building at the same site we worked at. 

The build site we were working at was in Tadim which is a small parish located within the larger municipality of Braga in Northern Portugal. It was a six-unit apartment renovation to a former industrial workshop. Photos of the Build Site

The Team met up in Porto and spent a couple of days exploring before going to Braga for the build. Check out photos of Porto and Braga

Following the build, I returned to Porto and met up with my wife, her sister and her husband and we spent three weeks on a self-drive tour around much of Portugal. Go to tour to see the photos.

Links

The Fuller Center

https://fullercenter.org/

The Fuller Center for Housing Portugal

https://fullercenter.org/portugal/

Associação Humanitária Domus

https://associacaodomus.pt/