Isabel Rodríguez announces that the Government will reactivate the procedures to modify the land law in March
The Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez, announced this Thursday that the Government will reactivate the procedures to modify the Land and Urban Rehabilitation Law in March. This was stated at an informative lunch organized by the Club Siglo XXI, where he insisted that the objective of the regulatory change is to provide “stability”, “certainty” and “legal security” to urban development in Spain.
According to Rodríguez, the Council of Ministers will approve in the coming weeks the draft law to modify the land law, which regulates the rights and obligations of land owners in Spain.. The minister already expressed at the end of January in her appearance at the Housing and Urban Agenda Commission of the Congress of Deputies the will of her department to modify the current regulations to address the problem of urban development. The change aims to adapt the urban planning regulations to the principles of the Spanish Urban Agenda, promoting sustainable, integrated and inclusive urban development.
The processing of the text that is expected to return to the Council of Ministers in March was pending in the last legislature. The Government approved the draft bill in December 2022, but the early elections prevented it from starting its parliamentary journey.. Rodríguez has expressed confidence that the regulatory change will reach the Congress of Deputies on this occasion, which must give its approval.. “I hope to be able to count on the majority support of the parliamentary groups to provide the tranquility and security that urban planning needs in order to meet the need for housing in our country,” he said.
On a more immediate horizon, Rodríguez has confirmed that the Ministry of Housing will publish in February the rental reference price index, a tool provided for in the housing law and with which the price of rentals in those areas that are stressed. “The index will be ready no matter what before February 29,” Rodríguez assured. The only community that for the moment has shown interest in using this instrument to limit the price of rentals is Catalonia, although to do so it is first necessary for the Generalitat to present the documentation required for the declaration of the stressed areas.
The head of Housing has assured that the index could be “operational” to be applied as early as March, although she has stressed that its publication is independent of its application in stressed areas.. “No community may ask to apply it, so it will operate as reference data,” he clarified, while encouraging regional governments to request the declaration of stressed areas in order to take advantage of this new tool.
Rodríguez has also stated that “very soon” the agreement pending signature with the Official Credit Institute (ICO) will be ready to launch a line of loans to public and private developers for the construction of affordable housing. To this end, it is intended to dedicate 4,000 million euros from the Recovery Plan. “Since it became known that we are working on this instrument, 34 developers have been interested with the idea of building 12,000 homes,” the minister said.
According to the minister, all these measures are aimed at improving the accessibility of housing. “The objective must be that, regardless of the area of Spain or personal or family condition, no one dedicates more than 30% of their income to housing,” he expressed. To achieve this, Rodríguez has asked for the collaboration of the autonomous communities and the private sector. “We need a country alliance that multiplies efforts, and brings together all administrations and entities,” he stated.