How to apply for social housing and what are the requirements?

How to apply for social housing in different autonomous communities and what requirements need to be met. Social housing in Spain has various names depending on the level of protection and regime (official protection, VPO, VPPA, protected housing, etc.). It is intended to provide homes for people who, due to their financial situation, cannot afford to live in other conditions. What is it? How to apply for it? We discuss this in this article.

What is housing with official protection?

Social or affordable housing is priced lower than the market rate. Additionally, it has specific characteristics (size, location, etc.), and applicants must meet certain requirements to gain access to it. This housing can only be used as a permanent residence, either for rent or purchase.

Furthermore, it can be of two types:

Housing with official state promotion protection

These are the ones that are encouraged by the government and provided to its residents through a public lottery (upon meeting certain requirements). To be eligible for them, interested parties must register in the applicant registries in the corresponding autonomous community.

Housing with official protection for private promotion

This housing is built by developers or cooperatives that receive government subsidies to offset the limited market price for sale or rent.

Everything about housing with official protection

Social housing has certain characteristics that distinguish it from private housing:

• Permanent residence:It must be a permanent residence for its occupants. If another use is discovered, such as a second home, a penalty will be imposed. This means that tenants cannot own another property and must be registered in the autonomous community where the house is located.
• Limited price:The sale or rental price is determined by the government and must always be lower than the market price. To access such housing, families are required to have a certain income level in accordance with a publicly available indicator of government income with multiple effects.
• They cannot be transferred:That is, they cannot be transferred until the expiration of the term set by the relevant authority, which usually ranges from 10 to over 30 years. Subsequent transfers may also be restricted by rules established by the regulatory body.
• Tax benefits and assistance:This type of housing enjoys tax benefits and assistance to ensure access to it (loans, subsidies, etc.).

To apply for social housing, you must be registered in the registry of applicants for social housing in your autonomous community in order to participate in the public lottery. Requirements, assistance, amounts, and other conditions may vary from one community to another. Please refer to the housing guide in the relevant autonomous communities.