The Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez, maintained this Thursday that the preservation of architectural heritage and its promotion as poles of cultural revitalization are essential pieces to reinforce territorial cohesion and favor access to housing.
Rodríguez articulated her intervention around these ideas during a dialogue with the director of the Almagro International Classical Theater Festival, Irene Pardo, held within the framework of the I Meeting of Architecture, Scene and Public Space of Almagro.
After the welcoming words of the town's mayor, Francisco Ureña, the minister remarked that cultural initiatives such as the Almagro International Classical Theater Festival are "a commitment to development, economic and social."
As she pointed out, the effect of this type of project translates into "an opportunity for life, for employment throughout the year, it is a guarantee that there are people here who will stay to continue living" in small municipalities. "Spain is a country rich in heritage, which allows us good living conditions, economic and social developments," she added.
Rodríguez insisted that "through the commitment of governments, professionals and an active society, we can implement instruments to take advantage of this architectural and cultural heritage and guarantee the right to access decent housing."
In coherence with this vision, the minister detailed that the new State Housing Plan incorporates significant support for the purchase of housing by young people in rural areas and for the rehabilitation of properties, both those that are empty with a view to subsequently allocating them to affordable rental, as well as those with heritage protection located in historic centers.
"Given that there are homes that are not currently inhabited, what needs to be created are opportunities," she stressed.
After the initial conversation, a debate table was held, led by the general director of Urban Agenda and Architecture, Maite Verdú, in which the vice-dean of the Official College of Architects of Castilla-La Mancha, Gema González; the set design expert José Manuel Castanheira; the set designer and costume designer Elisa Sanz, and the director of the Toledo School of Architecture, Carlos Asensio-Wandosell, participated.