Starting next October 16th, Ontinyent will have a new mediation service, a result of collaboration between the City Council and the Valencia Bar Association (ICAV). Integrated into the city's Housing Plan, this initiative aims to provide citizens with a professional and accessible channel to resolve conflicts and seek agreements before resorting to the courts. The service, based at the ICAV delegation in Ontinyent, will initially focus on housing-related issues but will also intervene in family, neighborhood, civil, commercial, and other coexistence conflicts.
The service was presented at the Palau de la Vila, where the mayor of Ontinyent, Jorge Rodríguez, explained that the creation of this tool responds to a need identified in the Housing Plan to enhance legal security for both owners and tenants. Rodríguez recalled the planned investment of 2.5 million euros in the Housing Plan for renovations and public housing creation, as well as measures to build owner confidence, such as joining the Generalitat Valenciana's initiative to guarantee rent payments.
The mayor highlighted that, in addition to guarantees, they considered the “insecurity that can sometimes exist” when conflicts arise. What began as a tool primarily focused on housing has expanded to address various types of issues.
Yolanda Sánchez, second deputy of the ICAV Governing Board and head of Mediation, emphasized the importance of this municipal commitment to bring mediation closer to citizens, calling it a “pioneering system.” She noted that the service can act in community conflicts (noise, construction, shared spaces), family matters (separations, elder care), and housing issues (leases, mortgage foreclosures).
Ana Mir, coordinator of the ICAV Mediation Center-MASC, stressed the center's experience, with over 33,000 informational sessions and 17,000 mediations since 2012. She highlighted that the recovery and expansion of the service in Ontinyent represents “a very significant boost” for housing problems. The service will be staffed by specialized mediators, and appointments can be requested by calling 962387907 (Ontinyent) or 963103189 (Valencia).
Francisco Ferre, ICAV delegate for the judicial district of Ontinyent, thanked the City Council for its support and highlighted the project as an example of collaboration between public administration and the Bar Association to offer an alternative method to the judicial system.
