When accessing a home we can do it by buying a new, used house or renting a home. Although there is another type known as social housing, which is characterized by being promoted by the Spanish public administration and is offered at a price below that of equivalent goods in the market.
In general, these types of houses are made available to the Government to facilitate access to housing for those most disadvantaged people, especially those with lower incomes. This is a clear advantage, and also includes requirements, such as, for example, that must be destined for the habitual and permanent domicile of the people who rent or buy them; and that they cannot be rented or sold by these people since it would not be right to profit from them.
The regulation of their prices and conditions to access social housing is determined according to the rules of each autonomous community. Let's see what requirements are needed to apply for social housing.
How is the current market?
It is convenient to know beforehand how the current housing market is. With ups and downs (in certain months) for sale and purchase of a home, now, and compared to other previous years, the construction of social housing is going down. According to the Ministry of Development, during 2018, 5,167 units were finished, 92% less than the 68,587 that were built in 2008, that is, ten years ago.
Types of social housing
Each autonomous community sets its types of social housing. In the case of Barcelona, for example, it is established that they can be of different types, depending on their final qualification:
- Homes for sale
- Housing in surface right
- Rental housing in general regime for 10 or 25 years and in special regime for 25 years
- Rental housing with purchase option
- Endowment rental homes for the elderly
- Temporary rental housing for young people
What requirements do I have to meet to qualify for social housing?
These requirements are established by the autonomous communities. Although the 2018-2021 state housing plan establishes general parameters, such as those people who want to access social housing have not had previously social housing in Spain
Nor can you have free homes on the property, people must be registered in the autonomous community where we request the VPO, must register in the public registry of plaintiffs of each autonomous community, and have a minimum family income.
The City Council of Barcelona establishes in this last point that the calculation is made from the declaration of the income of the natural persons (IRPF) of each one of the members of the coexistence unit. The declaration presented will be the one corresponding to the tax period prior to the presentation of the application for social housing.
What is a disqualification of social housing?
The social housing qualification usually has a validity period, after which social housing becomes free housing. And sometimes it can be disqualified before the end of the period of validity, depending on the autonomous community.
According to the Ministry of Development, the disqualification of social housing serves to nullify the limitations to which the power to freely dispose of it is subject, for having received public aid and thus its conversion into free housing.
It can be requested by the owners of social housing after the deadline established by the Housing Plan to which it is received. To request it, they must go to the corresponding housing office of each Autonomous Community.
The Ministry of Development establishes that, in order to obtain the disqualification, once the request for disqualification has been accepted by the corresponding Autonomous Community, and motivated the acceptance of the disqualification, by the CCAA, the public aid received plus the corresponding legal interests must be returned.
Does one have to be a Spanish citizen? Can an USA citizen expat quality for social housing?
Hi i am a 61 year old woman with chronic pain my father and I came to Spain 2012 unfortunately my father cannot travel to Spain no longer, it has left me with very small pension I can't afford to rent a apartment, I am a Spanish resident since 2015, it's impossible for me to live in Sweden because of my pain, I also almost got killed by a paranoid scholarship and I was promised to get all the help I needed, he also destroyed my a apartment rhe court case was 15/11-2019 the judge rewarded me compensation € 1.600 and the attacker 4 years in prison, I am still waiting for my compensation and the attacker is free, no authorities helped me I have lived in trauma since this took place my dear old father has helped me, I already had a bad back that I have had a big operation on before he attacked me I would like to find out if I am eligible for Social Housing.
Kind Regards Soila Salokannel