Gandia has initiated the awarding process for five affordable rental homes located on Magistrat Català street, in the Corea neighborhood. The City Council has received a total of 61 applications, of which 17 have been provisionally admitted after verifying compliance with the established economic requirements. These homes, acquired from Sareb in December 2024 and closed for nearly 17 years, will be handed over to the new tenants by the end of September.
The Councilor for Housing, Salvador Gregori, explained that these properties are not for social housing but are intended for individuals with incomes that allow them to afford a reduced rent, with monthly rents ranging from 439 euros for the most economical home to 578 euros for the penthouse. These figures are significantly below market prices.
The homes, with an approximate usable area of 95 square meters (the penthouse reaches 150 m²), include a storage room and three of them a parking space. The building has undergone refurbishment to repair damage accumulated over the years it remained closed.
The Local Government Board approved the provisional list of admitted and excluded applicants. After the period for objections, the applications will be evaluated. Scoring criteria will consider factors such as the number of children, the presence of dependent elderly relatives, years of residency in Gandia, and the applicant's age, aiming to prioritize families and individuals with greater housing needs.
Gregori highlighted that, despite the Generalitat's competencies, the City Council is promoting initiatives to expand the affordable housing supply, recovering closed properties and seeking new subsidies. The rental contract will have a maximum duration of seven years.
For his part, the deputy spokesperson for the Popular Municipal Group, David Ronda, described the initiative as "positive but insufficient" given the city's housing access crisis. He criticized that only five municipal homes have been made available and that the income limit of 29,400 euros annually excludes many families facing difficulties.
