The Spanish Troop and Navy Association (ATME) has formally requested the Community of Madrid to create a "Live Armed Forces Plan," analogous to those already implemented to facilitate access to housing for healthcare personnel and members of the State Security Forces and Corps.
According to the organization, a letter has been sent to the regional government in which this demand is raised and, furthermore, a meeting is requested with the regional authorities to analyze the reality of the military stationed in the Community of Madrid.
ATME proposes the implementation of a specific program or, failing that, that the military can integrate into the already operational housing initiatives. "Those who serve Spain and the citizens of Madrid cannot continue to be the great forgotten ones of social support and housing measures," the association has stated.
The current Live Plan of the Community of Madrid, focused on affordable rental, includes a reserve of housing for members of the State Security Forces and Corps. Likewise, at least 120 of the 1,000 apartments projected in San Sebastián de los Reyes, near the Infanta Sofía University Hospital, will be assigned to healthcare workers.
In ATME's opinion, members of the Armed Forces "cannot be left out" of these policies that seek to facilitate access to housing for groups "that provide essential services to the citizenry," as indicated in a public statement.
The association emphasizes the effect of the "high price" of housing in the region on this personnel, with "direct consequences on the military units located in the region." In its view, "low salaries, especially among troop and navy personnel, make it difficult for those assigned to Madrid, especially when they have to move with their families, to access housing under manageable conditions and develop a stable life project."
ATME warns that the number of military personnel who "avoid requesting" assignments in the Community of Madrid due to residential costs is increasing, "which causes certain vacancies to become less attractive and more difficult to fill."
In the same line, it highlights that "those who arrive forcedly often try to leave the region as soon as they have the opportunity." "This is compounded by the insufficiency of logistical accommodations, which have waiting lists and cannot be used by families," adds the association.
Complaints about other situations of discrimination
The military organization also recalls that on other occasions military personnel have been sidelined compared to other public employees. It cites as an example the school meal scholarships of the Community of Madrid, which this group could not access until 2024.
For ATME, this case shows that "the needs of military personnel continue to be overlooked from the very first moment, forcing them to constantly demand measures that are recognized earlier for other groups with which they often work side by side."
The association maintains that this differentiated treatment "generates a growing discontent" among military personnel, who see it as "unfair" to have "to fight time and again not to be relegated compared to other public servants."
"Moreover, on the eve of general elections, this circumstance may reinforce the feeling that the work of the Armed Forces continues to be undervalued despite the service they provide to society," pointed out ATME.
In this context, the entity recalls that the Armed Forces "have been present when the people of Madrid have needed their support in emergency situations, deploying personnel and resources to protect the population," which is why it considers it "fully justified" that military personnel be included in housing policies aimed at professionals considered essential.