The PPdeG has defended this Tuesday in the Parliament of Galicia a motion for a non-legislative proposal, with which it intends to highlight the Xunta’s policies for "expanding" the number of potential beneficiaries of public and protected housing through the modification of the cap on the maximum income required.
The initiative was presented by Popular Party deputy Moisés Rodríguez, who has stated that it is a "good measure" that moves in the "right direction" so that a growing number of households can access decent housing at affordable prices.
Rodríguez explained that the PP Executive wants to reach more families by raising the threshold to four times the Iprem, and up to 4.5 times in the case of large families for access to public housing. In addition, he highlighted that the 25% reserve of purchase-protected housing for people under 36 years of age is maintained, that 40% of the rental stock will continue to be intended for young people, and that seniority as a claimant in the registries will be taken into account.
"In Galicia the Xunta’s commitment is measured in programming, in actions, in investment and not in mere statements and electoral propaganda," the PP parliamentarian stressed, who rejected the amendments put forward by BNG and PSdeG.
The motion for a non-legislative proposal will be put to a vote on Wednesday and, presumably, will move forward thanks to the absolute majority of the Popular Group in the regional chamber.
Criticism and doubts from the opposition
For the opposition, the first to take the floor was PSdeG deputy Aitor Bouza, who accused the PP of making a "fool of itself" with the text of the initiative, in which it was literally agreed to highlight "policies aimed at expanding the number of potential beneficiaries of public and protected housing, in particular the reduction of the maximum income thresholds to access a property and the expansion of the reserve to 30% of the public housing for sale for people between 36 and 45 years old".
"It’s a total joke; they don’t even know what they’re proposing. Increase the threshold or reduce the threshold. Because what you are going to vote for is to reduce the number of beneficiary people, because if you reduce the threshold, fewer people," he said, reproaching the PP that "It’s going to vote on the initiative saying the opposite of what the Xunta has just approved and that nothing happens." "They’re a meme with legs; they make opposition to themselves," he added.
BNG deputy Alexandra Fernández, for her part, has stated that the Government of Galicia’s interest in promoting more protected housing is accompanied by “important changes” to turn it into “a more profitable business for developers and construction companies.”
She recalled that, after the legal amendments of 2021 “through the back door,” the price of protected housing has since accumulated an increase of 56%. After asking whether there is anyone who today earns 56% more than in 2021, she has assured that “protected housing is inaccessible because it rose above the purchasing power of families.” In her view, the PP does not push this PNL so that more families can access this type of property, but so that “somebody” can do it after “giving it an disproportionate and unjustified increase.”
BNG calls on the Xunta to exercise the right of first refusal
In the afternoon session, the full assembly debated another non-legislative proposal on housing, this time promoted by the BNG and also defended by Alexandra Fernández, who urged the Xunta to exercise the right of preferential purchase by the Instituto Galego de Vivenda e Solo (IGVS) when protected housing is disposed of.
“It’s a three-for-one: it saves part of the protected housing and gives it permanent protection, expands the public housing stock, and puts an end to frauds in the sale of protected housing,” the nationalist deputy argued.
Fernández detailed that, to move forward along this line, the initiative requires that the Xunta provide data on the exact number of protected homes that are going to be declassified in the coming years, in order to have an accurate picture of the existing housing stock.
In addition, the text calls on the Galician Government to exercise that right of first refusal already regulated and to plan for the coming years the purchase of protected homes that go on the market. It also proposes strengthening the legal instruments of the regional administration to prevent further declassifications, by expanding the IGVS’s purchasing capacity over the protected homes located in areas of strained residential market and that are going to lose their qualification in the next 15 years.
The motion has received the backing of the Socialist Parliamentary Group. Its deputy, Aitor Bouza, has emphasized the PSdeG’s support for "this and all the initiatives that go for the benefit of the rights" of Galician citizens. "Today we are debating in depth about protected housing and the PP has already shown us that it really does not want speculation to remain outside the law," he said, referring to the Populars’ rejection of the reform of the Galician Housing Law that he himself defended this morning in order to demand the permanent protection of public housing.
On the other side, the PP parliamentarian Moisés Rodríguez has announced his group’s vote against and has accused BNG and PSdeG of intending to "expropriate." He has criticized that the Bloc comes to the Chamber to talk about the right of first refusal and the right of withdrawal for protected housing as if it were "the magic potion that is going to solve the problems of the housing emergency."
"Their brilliant idea is that any flats that go on the market, the Xunta should come and buy them. It has to be intervened in, tutored, suffocated...", he said.
The Popular deputy has said that the "BNG always throws it to the countryside" and that in the end you see their "mask." He has also assured that each member of the party "has a little communist inside." "And every time it can, that communist comes out," he said.
"You are the ones with hyperregulation, with interventionism. Expropriate it!" he exclaimed, and then went on to defend that "that is what nationalists and the socialists want to do."
Rodríguez concluded that there are already sufficient control mechanisms to guarantee the social function of protected housing and warned that "a massive intervention by the administration on these homes could limit opportunities for access to housing."