The National Confederation of Construction (CNC) has once again focused on the need to reinforce legal security and simplify bureaucracy in order to develop affordable housing, after Casa 47 announced an investment of 200 million euros to build up to 2,500 homes on publicly owned land. The employers' association of the sector applauds the initiative, although it reminds that increasing the residential stock requires a sustained investment policy, available land, and real and stable public-private collaboration.
According to the organization, cooperation between administrations and construction companies is "essential" to address the existing housing deficit. In this regard, it emphasizes that the public sector can provide the land, urban planning, and economic support programs, while private companies bring their technical capacity, experience, and the necessary resources to carry out the developments.
Despite this, the CNC warns that the actions must guarantee their economic viability and rejects that companies take on more and more risks, bear rising construction costs, and face excessively long administrative procedures, without an economic conditions framework that makes it possible to complete projects with sufficient guarantees.
Consequently, the employers' association demands a clear regulatory environment, with legal security, well-structured bidding processes, and prices in line with the actual construction costs. At the same time, it argues that public aid is relevant, but is not enough if other bottlenecks are not resolved, such as the lack of designated land, the slowness of administrative procedures, the difficulties in ensuring the profitability of certain developments, and the shortage of skilled labor.
The president of the CNC, Pedro Fernández Alén, has warned that financing alone is not effective if the land is not urbanized, licenses are delayed for years, or there are not enough professionals to carry out the work. For this reason, he advocates for a stable and ambitious roadmap, with sustained construction objectives over time and greater coordination among the different administrations.
"Spain does not only need more housing announcements. It needs more finished, available, and affordable housing," stated Fernández Alén, insisting on the importance of expanding the available land, shortening administrative deadlines, facilitating access to financing, and ensuring a predictable framework for all involved agents.
In his final intervention, the head of the employers' association emphasized that the housing access problem will not be solved by pitting the public sector against the private sector, but by strengthening cooperation between both to build more housing in less time and at affordable prices for the population.