The Minister of Development, Territorial Articulation, and Housing, Rocío Díaz, has demanded from the State a «profound reform» of national legislation, including a new Land Law that «facilitates urban development with legal certainty», a national law against illegal occupation that «allows for express evictions and reinforces protection for victims», and the repeal of the current State Housing Law. Rocío Díaz appeared in Madrid at the General Commission of the Autonomous Communities of the Senate, where she emphasized the need to move away from labels and impositions and implement «realistic measures» that truly ensure access to housing. «Another housing model is possible, and Andalusia is a clear example of this,» stated the Minister of Development.
Díaz reviewed the seven years of the Spanish government’s housing policies, which she described as «erratic», leading to «a historic drop» in rental supply and «out-of-control price increases», exacerbated in the last two years with the enforcement of the State Housing Law, a regulation that has proven to be ineffective. Additionally, Díaz reiterated the urgent need for the Sectorial Conference on Housing to be convened because «the housing situation requires more work and less demagogy». This Sectorial Conference has not been held for seven months despite important issues to address, such as the distribution of funds from the State Plan.
The Minister defended the housing model being promoted in Andalusia, which shares similarities with the models other communities aim to develop. «Ensuring access to housing has always been a priority for this Andalusian government, moving away from socialist inaction,» she said, emphasizing an Andalusian approach «without labels» that «aligns with the majority’s aspirations», with measures that coincide with expert, sector, and institutional recommendations. Andalusia’s housing policy focuses on increasing the supply of public rental housing, simplifying bureaucracy, and reducing tax burdens. «We have approved the Vive Plan in Andalusia, which has helped us boost 13,000 VPOs, four times more than in the previous six years, and also the LISTA, our land law, which streamlines urban processes and reduces administrative timelines,» she explained.
She also mentioned the over 1,700 Andalusians who have obtained guarantees to buy their first home through the Guaranteed Housing Andalusia program, and the 250,000 Andalusians who have saved 460 million euros thanks to tax breaks associated with housing.
«Our housing policies offer certainty and confidence, restoring to citizens the peace of mind that having affordable housing in Andalusia is not a utopia but an attainable right,» she asserted. In this regard, she highlighted that the Andalusian government has initiated the development of land for 19,000 homes through public-private collaboration and has granted over 300 million euros in assistance to developers for the construction of 7,000 protected rental homes.
Andalusian Housing Law, after summer
Rocío Díaz informed the Upper House that the Government of Andalusia is working on «a housing law with its own stamp, which will reach Parliament after summer and is aimed at solving problems rather than creating them.» «It will be a structural and profound reform to increase supply and lower prices so that young people and families in our region have easier access to housing,» she explained.
Some of the measures have already been implemented with the approval in February of a decree-law that aims to construct 20,000 protected homes in five years.
To achieve this, measures have been taken to increase land availability, including the possibility of allocating tourist or office plots to protected housing; or allowing VPOs on private dotational land for rent. Additionally, a 20% increase in density and building rights is allowed on free housing plots if they are designated for official protection and promotions are included in the Project Acceleration Unit, reducing processing times by half. Finally, the Ministry of Development is working on creating a land bank for protected housing to make it available to developers.
Rocío Díaz also highlighted that the Andalusian government is addressing the increase in squatting within its jurisdiction. Thus, it has established the Andalusian Information and Advisory System on Eviction and Fight against Illegal Occupation because «squatting and inoccupancy exist, even if denied.» «Our model seeks to restore balance between landlords and tenants by providing legal certainty,» the Minister of Development stated, emphasizing the need for ambitious, responsible, and consensus-based housing policies, which Andalusia will continue to work on, propose, and collaborate, but also demand from others.