The €1,015 million promised to Catalonia from the State Housing Plan, a little closer: the Generalitat approves the agreement

BarcelonaThe Generalitat is once again boasting about the rain of millions promised to Catalonia under the State Housing Plan. When Pedro Sánchez's government approved the plan in mid-April, it already announced that it would invest 7 billion euros by 2030 to resolve the problem of housing access throughout the State. Of these, 1.015 billion are for Catalonia. As expected, the central administration will contribute 60% –609 million– and the rest will come from the Generalitat's coffers.

Less than 24 hours before a general strike that places the housing crisis at the center, Salvador Illa's executive has announced "a new activation of economic resources," despite admitting that, in this case, it concerns the signing of the agreement with the Ministry of Housing. In line with other housing-related announcements, the Generalitat has once again put big numbers on the table. With the money from the State Plan, it has claimed that it will renovate 20,300 homes, promote or buy more than 9,000, and provide rental aid to 121,800 young people.

The government spokesperson and minister for the sector, Sílvia Paneque, has explained that –as established in the state plan– the Generalitat will act in three dimensions: increasing the housing supply; renovating existing housing, and facilitating access through aid, especially for young people.

Investment for each action

Specifically, the Illa government plans to allocate 77.7 million euros to promote 3,825 rental properties, which include subsidies for public developers and initiatives attached to the 50,000 Plan. In addition, it also plans 37.6 million for developments that, besides being attached to the 50,000 Plan, are promoted by cooperatives and entities that promote social inclusion. In the field of rehabilitation, it has a pool of more than 304 million to rehabilitate 20,300 homes.

Regarding the public housing stock, the Generalitat plans to invest 260.7 million to purchase properties through the right of first refusal: on one hand, it wants the Housing Agency of Catalonia to be able to acquire 3,070 apartments and, on the other, to promote a new reinforcement line so that city councils and social entities can also carry out their operations. Likewise, it will allocate almost 30 million euros to capture 100 homes that their owners yield to mediation pools and insertion programs.

67 more professionals at the Housing Agency

The Government has also agreed that the Housing Agency of Catalonia will incorporate 67 more professionals, who will focus mainly on "the rehabilitation, maintenance and diagnosis of the public housing stock", as well as the incorporation of new properties into the stock and the qualification of protected housing (HPO). The Agency currently manages more than 25,000 homes, an increase of 21% compared to six years ago.

"Each new home entails permanent obligations of allocation, management, maintenance and attention to tenants", recalls the executive in a statement.