The construction company Abala Infraestructuras has become the sole interested party in the tender to build and sell approximately 30 homes on a municipal plot located on Ceuta street, in the San Blas neighborhood. The proposal was confirmed at the contracting board meeting of the Municipal Housing Board, after the deadline for submitting bids closed on June 30. The plot, valued at 457,549 euros, plans for the construction of a new building, from which at least three future homes will be ceded to the Board for its allocation to the affordable housing program.
At the contracting board meeting, the envelope containing the administrative proposal was opened. In upcoming sessions, criteria for evaluation by expert judgment and, subsequently, the economic offer will be analyzed. According to municipal sources, the documentation will detail the number of homes to be built, which must start from a minimum of 38 square meters of usable space, and their characteristics. It is estimated that around 30 homes can be obtained, of which at least three, totaling approximately 191 square meters of usable space, will be for the Board for affordable housing. Among other criteria, increasing the minimum usable square meters to be delivered for a greater number of homes for the Housing Board will be valued.
The deadline for submitting bids closed on June 30, after the municipal government, from the People's Party (PP), modified the tender specifications to strengthen controls in the adjudication of future homes and extended the bidding period by three months, seeking "maximum competition and transparency." These changes were introduced following controversy over the management and sale of VPPs built by the cooperative Residencial Les Naus between 2018 and 2022. The new measures include controls on marketing, payments, transactions, buyer access, absence of conflicts of interest, reinforcement of residency requirements, and subsequent monitoring.
The tender modification requires the awarded party, subcontractors, and marketers to sign a declaration of absence of conflicts of interest (DACIs). Additionally, the company must submit a marketing plan approved by the Board and cannot commence it until obtaining provisional qualification, nor receive advance payments without authorization from the Conselleria de Vivienda (Housing Department). Payment methods, protection period duration, program conditions, plans, registration period (minimum 30 days with at least 10 days prior notice), adjudication methods (lottery, scoring, registration seniority), and the home allocation method, ensuring publicity and transparency, must also be explained. The promotion will be advertised via web or app, shareable with the Board's platform. Once the registration period closes, the awarded party will communicate the provisional list of awardees and the waiting list to the Board, with a 7-day period for objections before the final list.
The Housing Board will conduct post-promotion controls, requiring quarterly reports or reports upon request regarding transactions with home beneficiaries. The City Council may establish a scoring system that considers residency criteria to reinforce the integration of VPP beneficiaries.
This VPP development in the San Blas neighborhood is the first promoted by the City Council of Alicante in this term and the second in twenty years. The renovation of the old Maestros housing in San Gabriel is also underway, which will provide 14 one-bedroom homes for young people. These homes will include accessibility and sustainability improvements, with a contribution of 275,000 euros from European funds (Next Generation EU) to reduce energy consumption by 80%. It is estimated that the allocation of these affordable rental flats for young people may occur before the end of the year.
This year, 15 more affordable rental homes for young people have been delivered in the Casco Antiguo (Old Town), after the completion of the El Portón housing development. The Councilor for Housing, Carlos De Juan, has highlighted the pace of public housing promotion, adding to municipal actions those of the Valencian Housing and Land Entity (EVhA), with five projects in Rabasa (90 VPPs), another 34 units underway, and others in tender including five municipal plots ceded to the Generalitat for 220 more homes (Plan Vive). He also recalled the impetus from the government led by Luis Barcala for new neighborhoods like Lomas del Garbinet and the new Albufereta, and developments such as Parque Central, which anticipate more than 6,000 new homes.
