The government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, today claimed the leading role of the Government of Spain in housing policies, of which “it finances two out of three euros invested in public housing in Galicia”.
Pedro Blanco detailed that these budgets come from the State Housing Plan and the Recovery Plan and are examples of the co-governance that the Government follows in those policies that are the competence of the Autonomous Communities, such as housing: “In Galicia, with these funds, the Xunta promotes its public housing policy”.
Pedro Blanco today took stock of the impact in Galicia of the actions implemented by the Government to guarantee the constitutional right of access to housing, turning this right into the fifth pillar of the Welfare State. This priority translates into regulations, such as the approval of the first Housing Law of democracy, and, above all, investments, which in Galicia “are making possible the construction and acquisition of 1,500 homes for affordable rent and the rehabilitation of more than 18,500 homes”.
Transparency and will
The delegate pointed out that the Government is present in all public programs linked to housing: “in the rent voucher for young people and girls, in the social rent voucher, in the aid to buy housing in rural municipalities, in the acquisition of housing for social rent; in the construction of new homes; or in the rehabilitation of homes, buildings and neighborhoods”.
In his speech, he stressed that the good response to these calls means that the available credit is exhausted and regretted that it is precisely in these programs, such as the small rental bonus, aid in municipalities of the demographic challenge and energy rehabilitation, where the Xunta does not supplement with its own funds those provided by the Government or does so in a demanding way.
“Just as the Government of Spain makes an extraordinary effort, the Xunta must also strive and complete with its own funds the most demanded lines. They have the resources, only political will is needed,” said Pedro Blanco, who warned of the “lack of interest” shown by the Galician Administration in these lines in the face of the agility that it gives to programs such as building construction.
Faced with this reality, the delegate asked the Xunta for “transparency” in the management of the funds that come from the State and loyalty in its execution, as does the Government. And he gave as an example the process of public information and citizen participation for the definition of the new State Housing Plan, which will put the mark on public housing.
Housing Act
With regard to rentals, Pedro Blanco stressed that the declarations of stressed areas for the rental market are already having positive effects in the autonomous communities that requested this measure. He recalled that this declaration benefits both the owners and the tenants, in tax deductions to the former and in savings to the latter, and that in Galicia there are already cities that are working on these declarations.
The delegate asked the Xunta to apply the Housing Law and favor the declarations of stressed areas, since the contrary “would be irresponsible.”