Concerns of the CUP for the Setback in Housing Policies
This Tuesday, the CUP of Sant Cugat expressed its concern about the current direction of the municipal government’s housing policies, describing them as a step backwards compared to the previous mandate.
Marco Simarro, spokesman for the CUP, regrets that the housing plan has experienced a reduction of more than 25%, going from more than 400 to the 300 planned flats. Simarro expresses his concern, since he considers this setback as an alarming symptom of a growing problem in the city.
Government Attitude: Lack of Dialogue and Contested Decisions
Simarro criticized the municipal government’s lack of dialogue, highlighting an incident at the municipal meeting where they withdrew a motion to avoid voting against it after modifications that, according to Simarro, altered its original meaning.
The CUP had presented a proposal to allocate 30% of future real estate developments to social rent, arguing that high prices are elitisting the city. Government amendments removed this reference.
Party Reactions: Support and Criticism
En Comú Podemos expressed support for the motion despite recognizing problems with the drafting and implementation of the 30% regulation. PSC focused on finding mechanisms to provide public housing, viewing the proposed measures positively.
PP and Vox showed disagreement with the motion, with an abstention and a vote against respectively.
Municipal Commitment to Housing: Statements by Alderman Duch
The Councilor for Housing, Francesc Duch, recognized the municipal government’s concern about the issue of housing, highlighting the efforts made since the last mandate to reverse the situation.
Duch assured that the amendments do not seek to blur the motion, but to reflect the current situation and promote sheltered housing through different urban planning mechanisms.
Rental prospects in Sant Cugat
With the average rent in Sant Cugat at around 1,500 euros in the third quarter, the CUP highlights the need for effective solutions to address this reality and avoid the general increase in the real estate market.
