Vox strips abuse victims of priority for social housing in Spain

Vox removes VioGén victims' priority in social housing

The scene repeats itself in more than one local administration in Spain: a woman reports her partner, is registered in the VioGén system, and with that document jumps to the top of the social housing waiting list. Sometimes, according to accounts circulating among social services staff, the accused man ends up living in that same flat as part of the family unit. On that suspicion, Vox has built its latest decision: eliminating the preference that female victims of gender violence had over men in access to protected housing.

The measure is no small thing. The VioGén system worked as a shortcut: a single registration was enough to move up the rankings. For those who support the change, the priority had become a perverse incentive. One current of opinion holds that social housing should be reserved for under-30s with education and social security contributions, not for profiles who use a police report as a key. The suspicion of fraud —instrumental complaints, entire families living in the flat— feeds that narrative.

The how matters

The criticism comes from the other flank. Nobody disputes the principle: it is reasonable to give shelter to those who have suffered abuse. The problem lies in the procedure. A social worker's assessment alone is enough to obtain victim status, without going before a judge. The applicant's financial situation is not examined, and other cases of genuine urgency are left out. With a WhatsApp message in between, the system opens the door to abuse.

Vox has made its bet. In its favour is public weariness with fraud; against it, the risk that real victims will pay the price. The unsettling fact: the debate is not whether abused women are helped, but who decides that someone is a victim.