The Governing Council of the State Housing Entity Casa 47, an agency dependent on the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, has given the green light to the bases of a public call endowed with 100 million euros to acquire private homes throughout the national territory, integrate them into the public housing stock and destine them for rent at affordable prices.
Natural and legal persons who wish to participate may submit their offers from the day following the publication of the call on the Public Sector Contracting Platform, scheduled for the coming days, and the deadline will remain open for four months from that moment.
The purchase of the properties will be carried out through a tender procedure, which will allow for an individual and motivated evaluation of each dwelling presented.
Priority will be given to proposals located in areas of strained residential market, that is, in areas where households allocate more than 30% of their income to housing payments, although the presentation of complete blocks or housing complexes will also be specifically valued.
The competition will be governed by objective and general interest criteria, such as its fit within urban planning, the fulfillment of technical and habitability conditions, the economic viability of the operation, and its adjustment to the housing needs of each territory.
Requirements and characteristics of the housing
Any dwelling with an area between 40 and 120 square meters may be proposed, without public protection regime and which, among other criteria, is located in high-rise buildings, single-family homes being excluded from this requirement.
The homes must be exterior, with openings to the facade or to patios that meet the minimum dimensions and without blind bedrooms; in the case of flats located above a fourth floor, it will be mandatory to have a lift, in addition to having a favorable Building Technical Inspection (ITE).
Likewise, the properties must have, as a minimum, a kitchen, living room or main room and full bathroom, 'lofts' and studios also being admitted. The delivery of the dwelling must be made empty, except for the fixed elements and installations proper to the property and the kitchen equipment.
“The State will never pay for housing above the real market”
House 47 will pay the price offered in the proposal provided that it adjusts to the appraisal value of the home and does not exceed the average sale price set for each zone by the Statistical Portal of the Notariat.
In this way, the final purchase amount will automatically be the lowest of these three values: the seller's economic offer; official appraisal value (Bank of Spain - approved appraiser); and average price in euros per square meter according to the Notarial Statistical Portal.
From the State Housing Entity, they emphasize that this triple filter guarantees that the State "never pays above the real market". Thus, for example, a 70 square meter dwelling located in an area where the average selling price is 2,000 euros per square meter will have a maximum price of 140,000 euros.
Budget, rehabilitation and objective of expanding the public housing stock
The budget of the call will cover both the acquisition amount of the homes and all expenses and taxes associated with the sale and purchase and, when necessary, the cost of the adaptation, improvement, or rehabilitation works, provided that the entire operation does not exceed 110% of the appraisal value.
The call grants an additional score to homes that stand out for their quality, accessibility, and energy efficiency. Those that comply with universal accessibility regulations, those that have been subject to a recent comprehensive rehabilitation, or those that have an energy rating A, B, or C will receive a better valuation.
From House 47 they have stressed that the objective of this initiative is to put all the resources of the State at the service of the right to housing and contribute to expanding the state housing stock until getting closer as soon as possible to European standards (8%).
This approach involves increasing the housing supply through different channels: construction of new developments, rehabilitation, incorporation of state assets into the patrimony of Casa 47, and acquisition of properties through purchase or transfer.