The 2nd Vice President of the Council and Minister of Housing and Bioclimatic Architecture, Rubén Martínez Dalmau, met this morning with Mayor Ana Sala and Councillors Paco Avargues and Noelia Císcar to discuss Calp's housing needs.
Martinez Dalmau, accompanied by the General Director of Quality, Rehabilitation and Energy Efficiency, explained that Marina Alta is a region with problems of precarious housing because "the tourism model has not always been very sustainable. It's a model that has generated wealth but also deficits." He also pointed out that Calp is an area that is particularly burdened in terms of housing, with 15% of the housing in the municipality being vacant and yet there is a significant need.
The Vice President highlighted that there is no public housing stock in Calp and offered to work with the Regional Ministry to create not only social housing but also affordable housing for young people.
For her part, Mayor Ana Sala has handed over to the Vice-President and the City Council the action proposal for the provision of qualified land to promote a social housing programme of public and private initiative at affordable rents, which the city entrusted last year to urban planner Gerardo Roger for the creation of social housing in Calp. The councillor for social services, has also highlighted the work being done in the subsidy for rental housing.
Martínez Dalmau also noted that "the revitalisation of what is already built is important in the municipalities with little available land, and this allows the reuse of existing resources". In this regard, the Mayor added that this opportunity would allow for the redevelopment and improvement of the old town to create affordable housing.
The Minister of Housing outlined the lines to solve the housing shortage, from the comprehensive redevelopment of degraded areas to the acquisition of housing by the government as part of the public housing stock, direct purchase by the municipality for reasons of social need or direct subsidy. He also mentioned the possibility that in cases where an investment fund wants to buy a house, the Generalitat can intervene to acquire it at the same price.
The City Council and the Regional Ministry have agreed to cooperate in the creation of social housing in the municipality.