New clash between the Spanish government and the People's Party over housing policies

BarcelonaA new clash has erupted between the Spanish government and the autonomous communities governed by the People's Party (PP) over housing policies in the country. This Thursday's meeting of the Housing Sector Conference, attended by the central government and the autonomous communities, has become a forum for exchanges of criticism between the Socialists and the People's Party (PP). The minister presented the State Housing Plan 2026-2030, which includes an investment of €7 billion—three times the previous plan—with the state contributing 60% and the autonomous communities contributing the remaining 40%.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez, has assured that the co-financing that is being requested from the autonomous communities for this plan is not "unreasonable", and has asked the representatives of the communities not to go "at the behest of the PP and Feijó." She said this to the media, after the PP published a statement on Monday rejecting the new plan.

In this regard, the Minister of Housing has recalled that co-financing for the previous plans meant that the communities would contribute 25% and the rest would come from the State. However, for this plan, an extra effort is being asked of the autonomous communities because "the anomaly" is that the State acts as the "paying box" when the responsibility for housing lies with the autonomous communities. "Am I asking them for the moon? Am I asking them for an effort that is impossible to assume? "What are they allocating these funds to that they can't allocate to housing?" Rodríguez asked.

In any case, he highlighted "the tone" with which the meeting was held and that the possibility of reaching an agreement between the Spanish government and the autonomous communities was confirmed, although "some differences" remain.

The minister indicated that for the Community of Madrid, the requested effort is 75 million out of a budget of 28.6 billion; in Valencia, an effort of 48 million out of a budget of 32.2 billion; in Andalusia, 80 million out of a budget of 48.8 billion; and in Castile and León, 25 million out of a budget of 15 billion.

"What I am asking for is an exercise in budgetary co-responsibility, based on its competence and the needs that exist today in Spain. And if we all collaborate more budgetarily, we will reach this goal sooner, and we will support them, as we are doing, also by requesting more resources from European institutions," the minister assured. Along these lines, the Minister of Housing asserted that it is also an "anomaly" for the autonomous communities to speak on behalf of the political party to which their leaders belong, as they should represent "all citizens."

Representatives of the autonomous communities governed by the People's Party (PP), however, have not spared themselves from criticizing the ministry and have accused the government of "authoritarianism" and "unilateralism" in imposing, in their opinion, the State Housing Plan on them. The regional minister of Castile and León, Juan Carlos Suárez Quiñones, who spoke on behalf of the autonomous communities presided over by the PP, has denounced that they were not informed of the plan in sufficient advance and were unable to participate.

"We cannot accept that, after almost a year since the last meeting, we are summoned today with seven items on the agenda," criticized Suárez Quiñones, who lamented "the manner and substance" with which, in his opinion, the Ministry of Housing and its autonomous communities are behaving. On the contrary, the autonomous communities governed by the PSOE did support the plan of the ministry led by Isabel Rodríguez, although some improvements are proposed.

In this sense, the General Director of Housing of Castilla-La Mancha, Salud García Alfaro, stated, before entering into the sectorial, that for the state plan to continue its course, "a coherent and realistic financial framework" must be achieved, which takes into account the efforts that have already been made by the community. Castilla-La Mancha has proposed a less rigid distribution of funds, establishing 40 percent for construction, 30 percent for renovation and accessibility, and another 30 percent for housing access.

Its approach is that these percentages can be adapted to the circumstances of each community, while also advocating other measures such as the creation of a specific line of aid to subsidize the development of land primarily intended for the construction of protected housing or to guarantee the continuity of renovation offices.

More apartments and easier access for young people

The plan plans to allocate 40% of the resources to expanding the housing stock, both through aid for the construction of public and protected housing, and through the mobilization of private land. It includes the recovery of aid for protected housing (VPO) and the acquisition of homes to increase the portfolio of affordable apartments and the mobilization of empty homes.

Another 30% of the plan's resources are intended to be allocated to improving efficiency and accessibility with aid for renovation in heritage protection areas and aid for the renovation of empty homes for affordable rentals. The remaining resources will go to helping young people access housing, with aid such as the 30,000 euro grant for rent with an option to buy, rental assistance, and guarantees. The plan's objectives also include promoting industrialized construction and urban and rural regeneration programs.