Vox imposes 15-year residency rule for public housing in Valencia, Spain

Vox imposes 15-year residency rule for public housing in Valencia, Spain

Imagine a foreign family with 14 years of residence in Spain, children in school and taxes paid. They are excluded from access to social housing in Valencia. That is the direct consequence of the 15-year residency requirement that Vox has managed to incorporate into Valencia's housing policy.

The measure represents a significant tightening of the conditions for accessing the public housing stock. Some consider it insufficient and are calling for even longer waiting periods. Supporters argue that public resources should prioritise those who have been contributing the longest. Critics contend that the threshold punishes residents who have spent a decade and a half in the country and that, in practice, it turns access to housing into a privilege based on seniority.

The loophole its own supporters anticipate

It is telling that even the measure's supporters admit some will try to circumvent it. "Every law has its loopholes," goes the saying circulating among supporters. If the administrative requirement is high, the logical next step will be exhaustive checks of municipal registrations, contracts and employment records. The bureaucratic cost will fall on applicants.

What the PP failed to do in 20 years

The striking detail: what the Partido Popular (Spain's conservative party) failed to achieve in two decades in power, Vox has accomplished with a simple residency criterion. Some analyses compare this move with the removal of subsidies linked to the gender violence law in Andalusia. In both cases, the minority party is setting the social agenda with measures that traditional parties did not dare touch.

The measure is on the table and no consensus is in sight.