The Basque Parliament has rejected a non-legislative proposal by Sumar that urged the regional Government to facilitate the expropriation of homes in cases of "unjustified vacancy, speculative withdrawal from residential use, practices to provoke the departure of residents in order to increase profitability" and other "serious or repeated" breaches of the social function of housing.
The initiative obtained only 25 votes in favor, those of Sumar and EH Bildu, versus the 47 votes against issued by PNV, PSE-EE, PP and Vox, so it was ultimately ruled out.
Sumar proposed that the Basque Executive strengthen the subjective right to housing, "by fully developing Law 3/2015 and ensuring that no person with a recognized right is left without an appropriate housing solution." To that end, it proposed that within a maximum period of three months a legal reform be processed "to limit the accumulation and concentration of residential property, prevent its speculative and financial use, and strengthen public intervention over large holders, investment funds and real estate operators."
The text also called for setting "legal limits on the accumulation of housing" and forbidding investment funds "and other vehicles of a predominantly financial nature" from buying homes intended for habitual residence. In addition, it asked to extend the public rights of first refusal and retraction to transactions involving residential buildings and to purchases and sales by large holders.
Another of the measures involved expanding the instances of breach of the social function of housing to add "unjustified vacancy, the speculative withdrawal of homes from residential use, practices intended to cause the departure of resident people in order to increase their profitability, and other serious or repeated breaches." From there, the coalition proposed enabling, "depending on the severity" of those actions, "the temporary expropriation of use, forced sale, and the expropriation of the property of homes, buildings or groups of homes."
The proposal also included that all housing obtained through “tanteo” or “retracto,” public purchase, forced sale, or expropriation should be permanently integrated into the public housing stock, together with “the necessary modifications to prevent the loss of protection for housing qualified prior to the permanent regime of public protection.” It also called for a mandatory administrative Registry of Large Landlords, Investment Funds, and Real Estate Operators of Euskadi, and for the push of “a progressive and dissuasive taxation on the accumulation and speculative use of housing,” in addition to “promoting the necessary competency reforms to fully develop these measures.”
The amendment from EH Bildu has also not prospered. In it, it asked the Basque Government that, “in defense of the right to housing and in order to curb any real-estate speculative practice,” it “immediately” initiate negotiations with the groups in order to approve in the Chamber a new housing law “based on agreement.”
By contrast, the joint amendment from PNV and PSE has moved forward, which has received 39 votes in favor compared with the 33 of the rest of the opposition. Through this text, Parliament calls on the Basque Government to “continue guaranteeing” the subjective right of access to housing for those who meet the requirements of the Housing Law, “with the allocation of protected housing or, subsidiarily, by setting aside in its budgets sufficient financial resources to grant the Housing Economic Benefit to all persons entitled to the aforementioned right.”
The amendment also asks the Department of Housing and Urban Agenda to “continue” working with the provincial councils to improve the information that makes it possible to identify large landlords. It also proposes expanding the public housing purchase programs “to consolidate their permanence in the stock of protected housing or make possible their incorporation into it, with the aim of protecting tenant persons and promoting affordable rental.”
The text agreed by nationalists and socialists also proposes extending the right of first refusal and repurchase, "modifying with the utmost speed" the Housing Law, in order to introduce a legal right of acquisition that would make it possible for the Government to buy, for itself or for third registered persons in Etxebide, the protected homes in second transfers, "guaranteeing access to them with equity and transparency". It also includes an express recognition of "the active role that the provincial treasuries are playing, as competent institutions in fiscal matters, in the search for solutions to the housing challenge through the promotion of the appropriate fiscal measures".
Parliamentary debate and references to the general strike
During the debate, Sumar MP Jon Hernández has linked the initiative to the demands of the general strike on Wednesday, focused on the housing emergency. "We want a war for land, sea and air against the funds and speculators, because we are convinced that this is what the street is asking for, and yesterday the general strike proved it," he said.
EH Bildu representative Xabier Astigarraga thanked the work of the unions and groups that called the strike. "Seeing the success of the strike, I would say that there is a cross-cutting way of thinking in society; and that is that the housing problem has already gone beyond all limits and that is the moment to change things," he said, before remarking that the "lesson" of the mobilization is that "homes are for living in, not for speculating".
From the PNV, Jonatan Moreno emphasized that the message of the general strike "speaks to everyone" and called on all political formations, including EH Bildu and those that support the central Government (PSOE and Sumar), "not to stand aside". In his view, Sumar's proposal "chooses the wrong enemy", while the PNV's priority is to "block the path to the speculator and protect the worker and the saver".
The spokesperson for the PSE, Adrián Fernández, has considered the mobilization for "dignified" and affordable housing to be "positive," and has said he shares the background of Sumar’s initiative, understanding that housing "is a right" that the public authorities must guarantee. In addition, in response to criticisms from the PP, he has pointed out that both PSE and PNV offices were also the target of vandalism, although he has warned that this cannot be used to "criminalize" the millions of people who took part in the protest.
PP parliamentarian Ana Morales has described Sumar’s proposals as "radical left" and has lashed out against the strike in defense of the right to housing and dignified wages, which, as she has stated, was "violent" and "contrary to democratic rotation." Morales has claimed her own "courage" for denouncing these events before those who, in her view, intend to "silence" the "aggressions and coercion" recorded during the day.
Lastly, Vox representative Amaia Martínez has accused Sumar of "demonizing" landlords and has turned to the fable of 'The Ant and the Grasshopper' to support her defense of individual "effort" against "communism."