Alarming housing shortage in Spain

The housing problem is becoming more and more alarming. The needs of the real estate market force urgent measures to be taken to enable between 600,000 and one million nine flats over the next four years. The objective will be complemented by the improvement of financing systems for the purchase of housing.

The Minister for Housing and Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez, has announced that the Government plans to mobilise 4,000 million euros in loans through the ICO. This can generate more rental housing and more housing opportunity for young people who want to emancipate themselves. It has also been important for the Minister to mention short-term rentals, as they limit access to long-term housing and prices continue to rise, apart from room rentals that do not follow any regulation and could be considered a fraud of law.

Rodríguez has defended the reference index of the rental price created by the Housing Law of 2023 as a necessary mechanism and what is interesting is that the areas of tensioned rental cease to be so as soon as possible.

In Sant Feliu de Guíxols, declared as a tensioned rental area, it is difficult to find balance, thanks to the reference index prices can be regulated considerably, but tourist rentals continue to rise and are increasingly difficult to control.

In the Santa Cristina d’Aro area it is important to remember the lack of housing, which forces local residents to look for both housing rental and purchase outside this area. It is important to take into account the local towns and the area of the Costa Brava to start building and continue to approve even protected homes so as not to stifle the real estate market.