The PSOE believes that the only option to control rent prices is the housing law, which more than a year after its approval by the Council of Ministers is still being discussed in the Congress of Deputies. The Socialist parliamentary group is positioning itself against consideration of a bill in the lower house to change the state law on urban rents, which would give power to autonomous communities so they could limit rents in stressed areas.
“For the Socialist Group, the essence of this proposal enriches the debate, but given the elaboration it will have in the coming weeks, it seems unnecessary,” said deputy Pere Joan Pons Sampietro in his speech. He admitted that on the islands “many families are finding it difficult to buy and rent” and “they are waiting for measures from society. We need more tools for that.”
“Parliamentary groups are working on a law that will help stop this inflationary spiral,” he noted regarding the housing law, where there is still no consensus among the various political forces. “If we fail to intervene in prices, the loss of confidence in the future of the middle and working class will worsen,” he admitted.
Double demographic and tourist tension
A proposal to allow autonomous communities to intervene in rent went to Congress by three autonomous deputies, including the Socialist Joan Ferrer y Ripoli, who argued that there was room to support the initiative alongside the upcoming housing law.
“Knowing that this bill is still being debated in Parliament, we ask that these courts follow the path we have set for them today” and “the approval of a state regulation that allows prices to be held down in places like the Balearic Islands with dual demographic and tourist pressures within a limited territorial framework that we want to preserve for future generations.”
The Unidas Podemos parliamentary group also supported the proposal. His deputy Antonia Jover recalls that the rental price in the Balearic Islands is 13.85 euros per square meter, which is the highest in the country. “The Balearic Islands are a stressed area, there’s no doubt about that,” he noted. “Measures are needed, that’s obvious. It is necessary to support this modification, which will leave all the reflected parties who protect citizens and who protect vulture funds”, he elaborated.
The housing initiative, which was discussed in plenary today, proposes to change Articles 10 and 17 of the Urban Lease Law regarding the extension of rental contracts and to give regulatory powers to autonomous governments so that they can impose restrictions. Rent prices in stressed areas. Proclamation of delineated territory, which will also depend on autonomous governments. In this way, the rental price can be limited, with a regime of sanctions for those who miss it; and a system of out-of-court dispute resolution between landlords and tenants.
Without the support of the socialist group, the proposal does not go ahead. Debate at the plenary session, which was characterized, on the one hand, by the tense situation, prices and reduced supply of housing in the archipelago. On the other hand, because the housing law is being negotiated without an agreement between the groups, which is completed at the gate of the municipal and regional election campaign.
The right-wing parties, parliamentary groups of PP, Vox and Cs, took a position against these proposals. Although progressive forces such as Más País, Esquerra or BNG, in favor.
Within the latter, Esquerra deputy Pilar Valuguera called for “consistency” in defending the same positions in Congress and regional parliaments. Regarding the law, he noted that the Republican establishment will support it as long as there is a cap on apartments entering the rental market, rental costs borne by landlords, and price indexes that start communities. “If not, there will be no law,” he said.
Source: El Diario
