Sumar has defended that the new housing measures approved this Tuesday in the Council of Ministers represent a "conquest" for the citizens. At the same time, it has acknowledged that the PSOE forced the automatic extension of rental contracts to be separated into a different decree, and has issued a warning to its potential parliamentary allies, including Junts and Podemos, about the political cost of voting against its validation in Congress.
This message has been conveyed by the Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, accompanied by the rest of the ministers of Sumar in the Government: Yolanda Díaz (Labor), Ernest Urtasun (Culture), Sira Rego (Youth and Childhood), and Mónica García (Health).
The five have offered a statement at the headquarters of the Ministry of Labor simultaneously with the press conference following the Council of Ministers in Moncloa, led by the socialist part of the Executive, and under a large slogan with Article 47 of the Constitution that enshrines the right to housing.
Bustinduy has acknowledged that the negotiation with the PSOE has been "hard" and that the "last hurdle" to close the pact was the automatic extension of rentals, admitting that Sumar defended that this measure be integrated into the decree that concentrates the main advances. He added that his space aspired to further extend the application period of the extension for contracts expiring until 2029, as well as to strengthen anti-eviction initiatives.
Furthermore, he detailed that in Sumar they do not share the tax incentives for property owners because they consider them ineffective, although they have accepted them to facilitate a possible parliamentary understanding with other groups, referring to PNV and Junts. In this regard, he emphasized that the rest of the provisions included in the package ensure that these tax advantages do not translate into price increases in the rental market.
The minister has highlighted the scope of the measures in housing and has particularly emphasized that the extension of rental contracts will reach 5 million tenants.
Warning about the validation in Congress
Bustinduy has admitted that the two decrees finally agreed upon do not incorporate all of Sumar's proposals, although he has stressed that the measures that reach Congress represent an "important conquest," possible thanks to the pressure and social mobilization of recent years.
He has also demanded a "quick validation" in the Lower House and has predicted a "very delicate" political scenario for those who stand against that "social outcry" and oppose measures for "immediate relief to millions of families".