The social housing scandal in Alicante extends to wives, children and nephews of high-ranking PP officials

ValenciaThe scandal surrounding the allocation of subsidized housing in Alicante continues to grow. Adding to the controversy over a real estate development that has benefited up to five members of the People's Party (PP), several city council employees, and officials from the Valencian regional government (Generalitat), is the fact that more than a dozen families with multiple members who have been granted apartments reside in the building. Among them are even three siblings and two cousins ​​between the ages of 18 and 24, a particularly striking detail given that the initial steps for the project date back to 2018, which would have required them to register at 14 or 15 years old. The latest information comes from a report prepared by the Alicante Local Police at the request of the court investigating the case. The document reveals that up to 46 of the 140 apartments in the building known as Les Naus have no registered residents, and that many others have one registered resident but "more people" living there. The report also notes that 12 non-allocated individuals reside in six apartments. Furthermore, it points out that 26 mailboxes appear neglected, with a significant amount of uncollected advertising, suggesting that the apartments are vacant. All of this data indicates potential violations because the regulations for allocating apartments require the inclusion of documentation for all cohabitants, stipulate that the allocated apartment must be used as the primary residence, and state that the annual income of the family unit must not exceed €54,600, according to the new limit set by the PP (previously €48,000).

Apartments for five PP officials

The new details provided by the police add to the facts that sparked the controversy: that the Councilor for Urban Planning, Rocío Gómez, was the beneficiary of an apartment; that three more apartments went to the two children and the nephew of the Director General of Internal Organization, Public Procurement, and Funds Management, María Pérez-Hickman; that two more went to the municipal architect, Francisco Nieto, and the wife of the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Tourism, Miguel Ángel Sánchez; and that another went to the wife of the technician from the Ministry of Housing who validated the applications. To the list should be added the son of the Councilor for the Environment and Health of the nearby town of Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Mercedes Torregrosa, a member of the People's Party, and Sira Pérez, the current treasurer of the Sant Joan d'Alacant City Council, according to two reports. Eldiario.es and the newspaper Information

As a result of the scandal, Gómez, Pérez-Hickman, and Sánchez have already resigned. Furthermore, disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against two municipal architects and a technician from the territorial housing department in Alicante. This is not the case for the city's mayor, Luis Barcala, who has refused to resign and whose resignation Vox party has prevented. According to Eldiario.esIn 2005, Barcala's wife and sister-in-law obtained subsidized housing in another public housing development to rent out. The controversy—which has already sparked the first citizen protests and is currently under investigation for alleged crimes of administrative misconduct, insider trading, influence peddling, fraud, and prohibited negotiations by public officials—has been exacerbated by reports of rentals—with monthly payments of up to €1,600—and sales—with prices reaching half a million euros, half of which were allegedly paid in cash—despite regulations prohibiting such transactions. The highly desirable location of the apartments, along with the amenities of a swimming pool, gym, and paddle tennis courts, has also generated considerable debate.

So far, the Valencian regional government and the City Council – both governed by the PP – have evaded any responsibility and have only announced the creation of two investigative committees, one regional and one local. The Housing Ministry – responsible for overseeing the allocation – has reported that all the apartments were processed by an official who approved applications – including that of his own wife – without evaluating the financial data of the beneficiary's spouse, as required by law. For its part, the City Council has maintained that its role is limited to "selling the land at an appraised price" to the developers and that it is the regional government that must validate the process.

Sant Joan d'Alacant, Valencia, and a Compromís ex-jobsman, also under suspicion

The Alicante scandal has been compounded by the possibility of a similar case in the municipality of Sant Joan d'Alacant, where the City Council has reported potential irregularities in the marketing of subsidized housing by the developer awarded a municipal plot of land in a 2025 tender. The mayor, Santiago Román of the People's Party (PP), stated that they have observed "allegedly misleading advertising practices, including promotional activities and the solicitation of reservations or down payments." Furthermore, in Valencia, the Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV) has filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the exchange of four municipal plots of land intended for subsidized housing in exchange for a 39-unit building. According to complaints from residents, the construction company canceled the reservations they had made shortly before opting for the exchange—a circumstance prohibited by the tender specifications. Also controversial was the granting of subsidized housing to the former director of the Institut Cartogràfic Valencià and member of Compromís, Xavier Navarro, in 2017, when he had a salary of 60,000 euros – higher than the limit of 46,800 stipulated at that time by law – a fact denounced by the newspaper The Provinces and that the Housing Ministry is investigating.