1.15m in temporary lets as minister pushes housing law

Some 1.15 million people in Spain are living in temporary lets or rented rooms, the government says. Speaking in Madrid on Monday, 7 September, Social Rights and Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy called for a housing decree to be approved this month. He said about 422,000 of those people would have chosen a standard home rental contract if they had been able to.

Bustinduy gave the figures during a visit to Escuela Infantil Retiro in Madrid. The nursery is closing after 20 years because a fund bought its premises for another use, in a deal the ministry called “speculative”.

Push for a housing decree

The minister wants the Council of Ministers to approve a decree-law covering housing as soon as possible in September. Its measures would include extending rental contracts, curbing speculation and tourist flats, and setting rules for temporary lets and room rentals.

Talks with parliamentary groups are continuing, Bustinduy said. He argued there could be no further delay, describing housing costs as Spain’s main source of inequality and the biggest burden on people’s lives.

Topics: Housing · Tourism · Politics · Economy

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com