He fights in the Botanic for the possibility of forcing the big vendors to give up empty homes

The Valencian Government faces a complicated week of negotiations that should culminate with the approval in plenary session of the Consell on Friday of a broad decree-law with urgent measures to deal with situations of vulnerability and residential emergencies.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
14 February 2023 Tuesday 04:29
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He fights in the Botanic for the possibility of forcing the big vendors to give up empty homes

The Valencian Government faces a complicated week of negotiations that should culminate with the approval in plenary session of the Consell on Friday of a broad decree-law with urgent measures to deal with situations of vulnerability and residential emergencies. A new regulation on housing that the second vice presidency in the hands of Unides Podem wants to approve before the end of the legislature, but which is generating an intense debate within the Consell and significant reluctance in the socialist part of the Executive.

With most of the 47 articles agreed upon and agreed, there is one article in particular that is preventing the approval of the regulations. It is none other than the one that includes the mandatory temporary transfer of the use of empty homes of large holders. An article that provides that all those large owners (more than ten properties) who have an uninhabited home for a year have the obligation to temporarily transfer it to the Generalitat Valenciana for a social purpose, to a vulnerable beneficiary and provided that the property is located in an area of ​​housing need.

One last aspect that does not seem like a very complicated requirement, since both Alicante and Valencia suffer from this peculiarity, as well as the vast majority of the tourist municipalities of the Community.

Sources from the Ministry of Housing stress that it is not an expropriation. That they simply seek to put these homes on the market and that, if the time comes, the big holder sells or rents it, they will not have to give it up. The assignment, argue the same sources, is seven years in the case of legal persons and five years in the case of natural persons. In addition, the Generalitat Valenciana would compensate the owner (the renter would be charged an affordable price) and would commit to maintaining the good condition of the home.

Despite the guarantees offered by the department headed by Héctor Illueca, the Executive is not clear about the suitability of approving a decree with such an interventionist charge a few months before the electoral appointment. The different negotiating teams meet in this debate after the rest of the articles are agreed upon.

Along these lines, the decree also provides for the expropriation of unused homes to rehabilitate them and the expropriation of publicly protected housing in the hands of large holders. The decree law is completed with the creation of a body of inspectors to verify compliance with housing regulations, as well as measures to combat property harassment.

In short, with the approval of this decree -which also provides for serious and very serious sanctions for offenders- the Council tries to fully develop its powers in matters of housing while awaiting the new state law that is also blocked due to disagreements in the coalition government.