The Minister of Territorial Planning, Urbanism, Housing, and Citizen Rights, Ovidio Zapico, defended today in the General Board of the Principality a public housing model centered on protecting individuals and families who genuinely need government support, as opposed to viewing housing as a market commodity.
During his presentation, Zapico was emphatic regarding the public housing policy of the Principality: “There are no evictions at Vipasa, nor will there be.” He noted that currently, over 2,000 families are protected through a non-payment protocol, a mechanism that allows for intervention in cases of economic difficulties, renegotiation of rents, and the establishment of payment plans tailored to the households' circumstances.
“Do you think this minister, who halted and fought for 21 months to stop the eviction of 20 families on Río Piloña street (Gijón) affected by issues with Sareb, will evict anyone? No, sir,” he stated. “There are no evictions, nor will there be.”
Zapico differentiated this protective policy from cases where individuals no longer meet the conditions for remaining in public housing, such as owning other properties, having sufficient income, or refusing to pay rent despite having the financial capability. He explained, “Those who do not face social or economic problems but refuse to pay rent, I believe, have completed their cycle of protection at Vipasa.”
The minister asserted that the public housing stock should serve a social function and that available homes should be allocated to those who truly need protection. He also highlighted the management of the public agency's housing stock, which consists of 9,613 homes, and noted that 1,457 inspections had been conducted by September 30 to ensure proper usage. In a previous campaign, 1,916 inspections uncovered 73 homes being used fraudulently, which were then reclaimed for social protection purposes.
“We must always keep an eye on guaranteeing, especially in these times of great need for access to housing, the social function of the public housing stock,” he emphasized.
In this context, Zapico questioned the agreement reached in Gijón between the municipal government and Vox to unblock the Emvisa budget in exchange for modifying the housing allocation program's criteria to prioritize years of residency in the municipality. He warned the Popular Party (PP) that this agreement would have repercussions on the relationship between the two administrations regarding housing matters: “With the infamy you committed yesterday in Emvisa, relying on Vox, it will understandably generate a lot of distrust every time a housing allocation proposal comes from the Gijón City Council. We will scrutinize it closely,” he asserted.
15,000 public homes in 10 years
Zapico advocated for a housing model aimed at strengthening the public housing stock, with the goal of achieving 15,000 social and affordable rental homes over the next decade. He recalled the agreement with business associations to begin constructing 400 new protected homes next year.
The minister underscored the importance of approving the Principality's Housing Law as an essential tool for consolidating and safeguarding the model being promoted by the Asturian government, ensuring the permanent nature of public housing and protected homes. He stressed that this law would convert the policies already being implemented by the government into consolidated rights, ensuring that housing always retains its social function against any attempts to treat it solely as a business opportunity.
“Some of us defend that housing is a right. Others believe it is a market commodity,”
he noted. Zapico contrasted this model with the position of the PP, recalling that its parliamentary spokesperson, Álvaro Queipo, had proposed selling public housing to current tenants. “He tells me he supports having a large public housing stock. In the last committee, he asked me to sell public housing to Vipasa tenants,” he pointed out, questioning the contradiction between advocating for a large public housing stock while simultaneously suggesting its sale.
