Rubén Martínez Dalmau, Second Vice President and Minister of Housing and Bioclimatic Architecture, was this Friday in Xàbia and Benissa to sign the agreement for the transfer to the town councils of the right of first refusal and withdrawal in the acquisition of housing.
This right of preferential acquisition of housing will give the town councils the preference to acquire housing on the free market. This may be the case of homes in the hands of investment funds. With this, it is intended that families and people with limited resources have the same opportunities to acquire a home.
The score and the withdrawal are the exclusive competence of the Generalitat Valenciana. Therefore, with this decree it is intended to assign both rights to the councils for the purchase of public protection housing.
«The Marina Alta coast is suffering the consequences of tourist pressure on housing»
This writing has been able to interview the vice president, a native of the Marina Alta, who has shown his involvement in the region to improve the precarious housing situation in the area.
"Xàbia, like other municipalities on the coast of the Marina Alta, is suffering the consequences of the tourist pressure that leaves working people and young people without opportunities to acquire housing", Dalmau highlighted. Keep in mind that the price of land per square meter in Xàbia has increased up to 11%.
The vice president has highlighted the need to continue meeting the demand for a type of luxury home with certain more expensive features, without forgetting the working and young people of the town.
For this reason, the Minister considers that it is "essential to expand the public park in Xàbia and with the signing of this agreement is exactly what we are looking for, to help the city council so that it can keep homes that, for example, are in the hands of investment funds" . In this way, the city council would have the power to acquire these homes and offer possibilities to the residents of the municipality.
In addition, the City Council has proposed the transfer of lots to the Generalitat that could be used for social protection housing, a matter that the Ministry is studying.
Benissa: A green General Plan
Regarding Benissa, a municipality that has also signed the agreement, Martínez Dalmau has ruled out that "its new General Plan that is currently being studied at the Consell is enormously green and seeks to preserve the roots and sustainable customs of the area." A strategy that he described as very positive: "things are being done the way they are."
Although Benissa has a construction model with less pressure than Xàbia or other municipalities such as Calp and Teulada-Moraira, Dalmau considers it very positive that the town hall has adhered to the agreement to improve housing access to the residents of Benissa.
The second vice president thanked the city councils for their involvement in joining this great fundamental initiative to create and expand the public housing stock. With the signing of these two agreements, Xàbia and Benissa are already eligible for the subsidies that the Department has for this purpose, with a budget of ten million euros for this year.
The Marina Alta: priority in terms of housing for the Generalitat
Dalmau has also advanced that before the summer the new decree on empty homes will come into force, which aims to make about 20.000 empty homes available to citizens. "We want to encourage the removal of these homes and in case of finding obstacles to be able to sanction, the idea is to continue working so that everyone can buy or rent a home at affordable prices."
The Marina Alta is among the priorities of the Generalitat in terms of housing. This has been confirmed by the vice president. "It is being invested in all the projects that have been demanded by the citizens of the region for years, such as the municipal swimming pool of Xàbia that today we have approved the budget in the Consell".
In addition, the first Xaloc housing office was opened in Dénia and “aims to respond to information needs, rental assistance, etc.)”. And more than 3,6 million euros are being invested in the rehabilitation of public buildings in Benissa, Xàbia, Gata Ràfol de Almunia, Teualda, etc.
