The Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda of the Spanish Government has signed an agreement for the promotion in public-private collaboration of 1,090 homes on 17 plots owned by the Valencian Housing and Land Entity through 3 different lots for a total value of more than 150 million of euro.

The Minister, Raquel Sánchez, signed the agreement with the Minister of Housing and Bioclimatic Architecture of the Generalitat Valenciana, Héctor Illueca, and in the presence of the Secretary General of Urban Agenda and Housing, David Lucas.

With this signature, framed within the Housing Plan for Affordable Rental of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma), a new step of this Government is certified in the promotion of affordable rental and in the achievement and materialisation of the right to a decent housing, as stated by the minister in her subsequent speech. It is a democratic necessity because the exercise of other fundamental rights depends on it, as well as being essential for our personal relationships, integration and our own development as human beings, she added.

For Raquel Sánchez, it is just one more step towards achieving a much larger objective, both in the Valencian Community and in Spain, because today’s agreement, the first to be signed, will soon be joined by those corresponding to the rest of the communities and cities autonomous. Thus, in her opinion, it contributes to making the right to housing effective and makes it easier for the competent Administrations to provide solutions to social emergencies faced by the most vulnerable population.

This promotion will be financed with the Program to help build social rental housing in energy efficient buildings, of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR). Through this, the promotion and increase of the public stock of energy-efficient housing for social rental or at an affordable price will be financed, through the promotion of newly built homes on publicly owned land, which increase the public stock of affordable housing, during a minimum period of 50 years and with a consumption of non-renewable primary energy that is at least 20% less than the requirements of the Technical Building Code.

For this program, endowed with 1 billion euro, Mitma has already transferred 54,105,000 euro to the Valencian Community, with an additional transfer of the same amount planned for early 2023. The aid provided is up to 700 euro per square metre of useful living area with a maximum of 50,000 euro per home.

The Regional Government will carry out this action through the Valencian Entity for Housing and Land, owner of the plots on which the actions to be financed are carried out. It will be developed under a public-private collaboration system, awarding the concession of a surface right through an open contest that will allow the successful bidder to rent the homes at established maximum prices and to people with limited incomes, with the successful bidder having to finance the project and the construction of houses.

The plots, which are divided into three lots that can be awarded independently, are located in the municipalities of Alicante, El Campello, Sant Joan, Sant Vicent Raspeig, Gandía, Silla, and Valencia. In the coming months, it is expected that financing can be agreed through this same program for some 1,100 additional homes in the Valencian Community.