The Spanish Association of Real Estate Consultancy Firms (ACI) has launched an urgent appeal to reach a State Pact that structurally addresses the problem of access to housing in Spain. This agreement, according to ACI, should involve both public and private agents, transcending political cycles and laying the foundations for a balanced residential market that is accessible to all citizens.
Ricardo Martí-Fluxá, president of ACI, declared that ‘the housing challenge concerns us all and does not understand political colours or ideological boundaries. It requires a cross-cutting and mixed dialogue, as an exclusively public or private approach will not solve this problem’.
ACI has proposed a series of measures to alleviate the housing crisis in Spain, focused on increasing residential supply and streamlining urban planning processes. These include the transfer of land for affordable housing, making land use more flexible, simplifying regulations and digitalising bureaucratic procedures. In addition, ACI stresses the need to guarantee legal certainty with clear rules to attract private investment and develop innovative projects.
ACI also offers its experience and knowledge of the sector to the pact, stressing that the real estate sector is relevant for social and economic progress. Martí-Fluxá concludes: ‘This is a historic opportunity to transform the residential market. Achieving this goal requires bold decisions, shared leadership and a willingness to work together’.
Access to housing remains one of the main political and social concerns in Spain, with multiple proposals and people working to address this challenge from different fronts. While the Partido Popular (PP) and the Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) debate tax incentives, public housing and market regulation, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) focuses on urban efficiency.
The PP prioritises facilitating the purchase of housing, especially for young people, through state guarantees and tax reductions. For its part, the PSOE is committed to a public approach, highlighting initiatives such as the Law for the Right to Housing and the transformation of state land into affordable housing, such as the 438 planned in Valencia. In parallel, the CNMC has initiated a study to identify urban planning barriers and propose solutions to speed up the transformation of land, reduce costs and increase the supply of housing.