The Minister of Housing, Development, Logistics and Territorial Cohesion of the Government of Aragon, Octavio López, reiterated this Thursday that "public housing is non-negotiable" and that there is "a very serious problem" of housing shortage, which particularly affects the young population.
López spoke at the Sectoral Commission of the Courts of Aragon to detail the main lines of work of his Department in this legislature. He stressed that its central focus will be housing policy, "without this meaning that other matters will be relegated to the background, far from it," and emphasized that in his Department, projects are "on-site."
In his reply to the PSOE, he pointed out that "a liberal party, accompanied by another liberal-conservative party, has had to come to make social democratic policies in public housing," advocating for the Aragón Más Vivienda Plan, the commitment to public facilities and the use of endowment land to build public housing, in addition to public-private collaboration. He insisted that "public housing is non-negotiable" and warned that the housing shortage "is a very serious problem" that places these policies "on par" with Healthcare.
The minister announced that he will submit the housing bill to the regional courts "quite quickly," before the end of the year, which will be "exactly the same" as the one registered in the previous legislature, incorporating the amendments from the groups that were approved.
He recalled that in August 2023, "the starting point for housing was a blank slate, with a meager 86 housing units -- public -- initiated" by the previous regional Executive, data he described as "objective," demanding that "objectifiable data" not be questioned.
According to López, with the Azcón Government, this has increased to 3,000 housing units, half of which are already under construction, placing Aragon as "a leading Community in protected housing" for rent. Regarding provisional classifications, he indicated that Aragon ranks third among the autonomous communities in protected housing, only behind Catalonia and Andalusia, and has committed to promoting more than 4,000 public housing units and applying the principle of national priority in their access, with criteria of roots and "will to remain."
The Aragón Más Vivienda Plan "does not forget anyone," the counselor has stressed, who has announced the rehabilitation of 335 homes in different municipalities through the Plan Más Vivienda 700. Urban development opportunities from the PIGA will also be used to promote new housing in enclaves such as Teruel.
"This will be the legislature of housing," López has assured, admitting that "citizens are fed up" and committing that in these four years "housing will be seen."
Roads and transport
In terms of Roads, he recalled that the "errors" of previous Governments led to the Aragonese road network being considered the worst in Spain in 2023, with an investment deficit of over 100 million euros during the previous term.
He announced that, "to amend the oversights of the past," a Plan of Preferential Actions will be presented, based on the General Road Plan, and that the Executive will continue to demand explanations for the "unjustifiable delays" in infrastructures such as the Cuenca-Teruel highway. He reproached the PSOE, saying "you are highlighting the lack of management in eight years of Government on roads that could not have been damaged in 30 months."
In the area of Transport, he highlighted that the implementation of the concession map has already been completed, making Aragón the first community in the country to launch it, increasing stops from 900 nuclei to 1,300 locations and with reduced fares.
After defending the Central Pyrenean Crossing and the completion of the works on the Teruel-Sagunto railway line, he recalled that Zaragoza airport is not an autonomous competence and announced that, in the coming months, President Jorge Azcón and the mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca, will present a plan to expand the connections of this airport to various destinations, "to many places in the world."
Regarding Teruel airport, he pointed out that it is "a total success" and that "people come to put them there," emphasizing that "Teruel is at the center of everything" and announcing that in this province "there will be very important investments." He added that "Platea will be too small" and advocated for strengthening logistics in municipalities such as Tarazona, Fraga, and Alcañiz, while stating that "logistics is in good health" in Aragón. The regional Executive will present the new Logistics Plan for Aragón in the coming months, which it has defined as "positive and powerful."
Depopulation and territorial cohesion
In relation to depopulation, López has maintained that "the fight against depopulation is not done with empty speeches, it is done with budgets", although he has admitted that "it is not enough" the effort carried out so far. He has defended the need to better distribute the population in the territory and has announced that the Territorial Cohesion Fund will be increased.
He has warned that, regarding depopulation, "when the legislature ends we are all going to be dissatisfied". He added that the collaboration agreement with the provincial councils will be closed, "which are going to undertake many depopulation tasks".
Positions of the parliamentary groups
On behalf of the PP, deputy Antonio Romero has stressed that it is not "a Government that improvises" nor a Department "that starts from scratch, as in 2023", but an Executive that "faces the legislature with defined and realistic objectives", in contrast to some socialists who, in his opinion, "move better in noise and confrontation". He has supported the housing strategy, highlighting "a significant change in just over two years", although he has recognized that "much remains to be done".
On behalf of the PSOE, deputy spokesperson Jesús Morales has demanded of López that he not manage housing as a business, but as a right. Regarding roads, he reminded him that he has been in charge of the Department for three years and that "more can be done", defending the protests of the Martes Negros de Monegros and La Hoya de Huesca. "We need a complete review of the network, talk to the territory", he asked him, also requesting that he count on the mayors and demanding actions such as the extension of the A-68. Regarding transport, he has claimed the previous Government's prior work in the elaboration of the interurban transport concession map and has pointed out that "the plans have to be adapted", in addition to urging him to increase the budget allocated to combat depopulation.
From Vox, the deputy Ana Isabel Pardo has highlighted "the social majority that on February 8 asked for a change of direction in management" to "put Aragon ahead of any partisan interest". She recalled that with the previous Government only 86 public housing units were built, "eight years in which Aragon came to have the worst road network in Spain", with "degraded roads, deficient signage and black spots spread throughout the territory". She also pointed out that with the previous Executive there were no "tangible realities" in Platea and other logistics hubs, and that depopulation continued to advance, highlighting the "new priorities" of the PP-Vox Government.
In the turn of CHA, the deputy Mascún Ariste has focused on the specific situation of the rural environment, where there are abundant ruined houses with unclear ownership, as well as numerous properties pending rehabilitation, with "very slow" legal processes. He has defended the need to "advance fiscally" in the territory and to differentiate between the small owner and the large holder, warning of "speculative processes".
The spokesperson for Aragón-Teruel Existe, Tomás Guitarte, has considered that the demographic issue "has been a bit forgotten" in the Department and has asked the counselor to detail the scope of the expansion of the Territorial Cohesion Fund, which he has described as "scarce" despite being the main instrument against depopulation.