Carabante visits one of the 25 municipal plots granted under surface rights where the most housing developments are planned.

• The official in charge of the project visited Valdebebas, where one of the 25 plots of land allocated for this municipal project is located
• A maximum rent will be set to ensure that families participating in this program do not spend more than 25% of their total income on rent
• All of the projects to be built will consist of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units, with parking and storage units in the basement. In addition, they will feature a community room and a space dedicated to a gym

Borja Carabante, the councilor for Urban Planning, Environment, and Mobility, visited this morning one of the 25 lots that the Madrid City Council has made available for the construction of affordable rental housing for a period of 45 years. Accompanied by David Pérez, the councilmember for the Hortaleza district, the official traveled to 252 María de las Mercedes de Borbón to check on the progress of the development being carried out by Culmia on this land located in the Valdebebas neighborhood.

The land made available for the 25-lot program was zoned for private housing and was part of the municipal property portfolio. They were distributed across 11 districts of Madrid: three lots in Arganzuela; two in Retiro; one in Moncloa-Aravaca; three in Fuencarral-El Pardo; one in Latina; three in Carabanchel; two in Usera; two in Ciudad Lineal; three in Hortaleza; four in Villaverde, and one in San Blas-Canillejas. All were allocated to three developers: Culmia, which will build 871 housing units; Pecsa Avintia, which will build 838; and Vía Ágora, which will develop 425.

Carabante toured the site, where work has already begun on developing the land. Representatives from Culmia provided him with an estimated completion date for the project and the timeline for handing over the homes to future residents in 2026. All the projects to be carried out consist of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom homes, with parking and storage units in the basement. In addition, they feature a community room, a dedicated gym area, and—in 6 of Culmia’s 7 developments—a swimming pool.

Municipal Efforts to Ease Tensions in the Housing Market

The official in charge of this area highlighted the efforts being made by the Madrid City Council to ease tensions in the city’s housing market, referring to a series of measures and special plans that, once completed, will result in a total of 25,680 new housing units available for rent, on the open market, and as affordable housing.

The lot you visited today is part of a social housing project that involves making land available on the market—through a surface rights agreement—for the construction of 2,134 affordable rental housing units on 25 lots. The surface rights are granted for 45 years, and at the end of that period, the buildings will become part of the City Council’s public housing stock. The aim is to facilitate access to affordable rental housing for a large percentage of the middle class affected by rising rental costs but who are ineligible for public housing due to income or other circumstances.

Twelve more plots secured for 15 years

In line with this, the Madrid City Council has also promoted the social sale of land at reduced rental prices on 12 residential plots it owns that are designated for the construction of private housing. For the first time, private developers are required to maintain affordable rents for future tenants for a period of 15 years. A total of 640 apartments will be built in eight areas across the districts of Arganzuela (Nuevo Mahou-Calderón); Chamartín (José Vasconcelos Street); Latina (La Medina); Carabanchel (Mercedes Arteaga); Puente de Vallecas (Doctor Sánchez Street and Sierra Toledana); Ciudad Lineal (Aroca Avenue—Bilbao neighborhood); Villaverde (El Espinillo); and Barajas (Corralejos North Sector).

Through two initiatives , 2,774 new rental housing units at below-market rates will be built in Madrid during this term of office, following the transfer of various municipal plots.

These two programs—both the transfer of land with surface rights and the social housing sales program—will help reduce the financial burden on families to pay rent, ensuring it does not exceed 25% of their income—currently around 42%, while the Bank of Spain stipulates that it must be below 33 percent. Furthermore, it establishes a genuine public-private partnership regarding land use, thereby increasing the supply of affordable housing and helping to lower prices in the areas where these developments will be located.