Andalucía's new regional ministry of housing to build 300 subsidised homes in Malaga

It weighs heavily on the future of a large number of households, which is why the newly elected regional government has created a specialised department, headed by Rocío Díaz: the regional ministry of housing.

In Malaga city, the Junta has a significant number of pending social housing projects on land it owns, which it has failed to push forward for years. These are mostly plots in the city centre and its immediate surroundings.

Some of these were set aside more than two decades ago for the failed "tecnocasas" scheme under which the Junta sought to "repopulate" the heart of the city with public rental housing that would provide a dedicated space for remote working.

A review of these plots reveals that there are some 300 social housing units that have been awaiting construction for many years. They could help meet at least a small part of the demand for affordable housing.

On the 'to-do' list of the Andalusian housing and renovation agency (AVRA), work has yet to begin on 28 homes and the same number of parking spaces and storage rooms between Calle Alta and Calle Parras (1,162 square metres), in the El Molinillo area, and further projects for 40 flats and 40 parking spaces on Cobertizo del Conde Street (1,239 square metres), in the Victoria area.

AVRA has approved a land auction plan for this year which includes both sites and comprises a total of 232 social housing flats it plans to hand over to private developers.

Two other plots of land in Plaza de San Pablo, in La Trinidad, have the capacity to accommodate 17 and 25 homes, respectively. Their future remains pending discussions with the city council regarding the municipal project to build a three-storey underground car park for residents, with capacity for around 300 spaces.

The land swap with the city council to enable the project for the Cautivo brotherhood headquarters has left the regional government in possession of another plot of land for 28 social housing units, which the city council previously owned on Calle Pilar Lorengar. That plot is also to be auctioned by the AVRA.

Meanwhile, the Junta is planning to renovate the building known as the Corralón de las Dos Puertas between Calle Curadero and Calle Rosal Blanco in the El Molinillo area.

More than a decade has now passed since this building, dating from 1900 and listed as a grade 1 protected building, was vacated and bricked up. It is one of the properties included on the red list of Spain's endangered heritage. It is also part of AVRA's auction plan for this financial year, with the aim of having a private company restore it to provide 29 social housing units.

There are some other regional government projects that do not figure in this list, although, in theory, they are on the starting line and ready to get under way.

They comprise more than 200 homes, notably including two plot sales to the Swedish-owned developer Lagoom Living to build 109 social housing units for rent between Calle Lagunillas and Calle Victoria and a further 57 on a large plot on Calle Gigantes, next to Carretería.

Archaeological surveys and other preliminary work are currently holding up the start of construction on these projects.

Work is also due to start on the construction of 50 social housing flats on Calle Cerrojo, in the northern Perchel area. In June, the Junta awarded the contract to construction firm Sardalla Española, with a budget of 6.4 million euros (plus IVA).

The project includes a basement with 50 parking spaces. Respecting the archaeological remains discovered on the site, the development will comprise around 50 social housing flats for sale, of which 41 will be two-bedroom, six will be three-bedroom and three will be one-bedroom.

Work has not yet begun on the social housing units in buildings in the historic centre that the Junta has sold over the past year to private developers, although these are small-scale projects.

This is the case of five social housing flats planned for a Baroque mansion on Calle Dos Aceras; six flats on Calle Álvarez; four flats on Calle Alta, in the San Felipe area; and six flats on Calle Ollerías.

The coming months will show whether the regional government manages to transfer responsibility to the private sector and get on with these projects.

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