Following in the footsteps of the Balearic Islands, and not without reluctance within the Valencian Government, Podemos has finally managed to carry out the norm with which it seeks to break the pulse in the Valencian Community of vulture funds and large homeowners (that is, with at least a dozen properties). The second vice president of the Generalitat and head of Housing, Héctor Illueca from Podemita, welcomed the approval of the new decree-law on urgent measures to deal with the "residential emergency" with a few words that show the importance that this text had for purple people: "It is the result of a social struggle."
And this because the norm puts the focus for the first time on "real estate harassment" which, according to the Generalitat, has so far taken advantage of a "legal loophole". In this sense, the decree law typifies and regulates for the first time this practice, which it defines as "any action or omission to the detriment of the person occupying a dwelling in order to disturb their peaceful use and enjoyment of the dwelling, even generating a hostile or humiliating material, social, personal or family environment".
What will be prosecuted, in short, is the "intention to force the occupant to vacate the home", for which sanctions ranging from 10,000 to 950,000 euros are provided, depending on whether the infraction is serious or very serious. A full-fledged declaration of intent, in the opinion of Illueca, who promised the creation of a "professional body" of inspectors to punish the cut off of basic supplies or the sending of threatening letters to tenants, for example.
But, beyond this sanctioning regime, the rule is new because it will serve to activate the first registry of large homeowners. According to the regional secretary for Housing, Alejandro Aguilar, the registry will be "important" to the extent that it will allow "regulating and knowing the activity of large landowners and, above all, being able to contact them." In other words, with the registry it will be known how many empty flats they have in the Valencian Community.
It is estimated that there are some 36,000 large holders, of which those who are individuals have an average of between 10 and 25 homes. "The big holder is not punished just because," Aguilar qualifies, but the one who has immobilized housing for at least a year will be monitored. Because? Because the decree law also empowers the Administration to force the temporary free transfer of these unoccupied flats in the hands of large holders.
For five years in the case of natural persons and seven for legal entities. The objective is to be able to use these properties in situations of "residential vulnerability". And here come from homeless people and families who live on the street or in shacks to people who have lost their homes suddenly due to some kind of catastrophe or accident.
Precisely this issue has been one of those that has caused the most friction between the three partners of the Government chaired by Ximo Puig (PSOE, Compromís and Unidas Podemos). The unblocking of the negotiations, according to Illueca, was possible after a report from the Generalitat's Attorney's Office and the clarification of the cases in which the Generalitat may exercise this option of compulsory transfer. "Legal certainty is positive," said Illueca.
Podemos has been trying to mobilize the unused real estate stock that accumulates in private Valencian hands for some time. Given the shortage of the public park, which has some 14,000 homes -insufficient for the thousands of applications that crowd the waiting lists-, the objective is to add private housing in the hands of large holders. The tax on empty apartments belonging to large owners, in fact, was also devised for this purpose: to force these properties to be put on the rental market with the argument of puncturing the price bubble.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
