Menorca housing crisis: PSOE targets rental scheme
On Menorca, many residents cannot afford the rents that a Balearic government scheme risks treating as normal, the Socialist Party (PSOE) says. Socialist island councillor Eduardo Robsy said on 16 October that he will bring a housing proposal to the island council’s Monday meeting. He wants the government to change the guide prices in its ‘Alquiler seguro’ rental scheme to reflect Menorca’s economy and wages.
More homes and lower rents
The proposal calls for more public and subsidised housing, backed by funding and short-term commitments for Menorca. It also asks the Balearic government to consider designating municipalities as areas under housing-market pressure where they meet the legal requirements.
Robsy says the regional government has failed to act, despite holding responsibility for housing. He argues that regions governed by the People’s Party (PP) have not applied some short-term measures proposed by Spain’s central government, while the party has opposed others in parliament. His examples include limits on rent increases and caps for large landlords.
Island council has a part to play
The proposal asks Menorca’s island council and local councils to list publicly owned land, buildings and premises that could be used for housing or affordable rents. Robsy also wants housing policy to reflect Menorca’s particular needs rather than leave the island behind other parts of the Balearics.
He is asking the island council to support a European Commission affordable housing initiative. Robsy says a future legal framework could, if its conditions are met, allow action in severely strained housing markets — potentially including limits on home purchases by non-residents. That remains a possibility in a proposal, not a rule in force.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com