The Spanish government and the People's Party maintain their differences over housing policies.

BarcelonaThe Spanish government and the autonomous communities governed by the People's Party (PP) continue to differ on housing policies in the state, particularly with regard to the 2026-2030 State Housing Plan, which Pedro Sánchez's administration plans to approve in December. Thus, this Thursday's meeting of the Housing Sector Conference, in which the central government and the autonomous communities participate, has become a new framework for recriminations between the Socialists and the People's Party (PP), who in any case have urged each other to meet again next week. "Some differences persist on specific aspects of the Plan [...] but we will seek consensus," indicate sources from the ministry headed by Isabel Rodríguez. The Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda has presented the 2026-2030 State Housing Plan, which contemplates an investment of 7 billion euros—triple the previous plan—of which the State would contribute 60% and the autonomous communities the remaining 40%.

Rodríguez has asserted that the co-financing being requested from the autonomous communities is not "unreasonable" and has asked the representatives of the communities not to follow "the dictates of the PP and [Alberto Núñez] Feijóo," but rather those of the citizens. She told the media this after the PP published a statement on Monday in which it maintains its rejection of the new plan.

In this regard, the Minister of Housing has recalled that co-financing for the previous plans required the autonomous communities to contribute 25% and the state to provide the remainder. 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 bank" when the responsibility for housing falls to the autonomous communities. "Am I asking them for the moon? Am I asking them for an effort that's impossible for them to assume? What are they allocating these funds to that they can't allocate to housing?" Rodríguez asked.

In any case, he welcomed the "tone" with which the meeting was held and the fact 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.