Thursday, July 26, 2018
News
Aid for housing rehabilitation to protect tenants
It happens in Barcelona but also in all the big cities and municipalities of Spain: real estate speculation leaves thousands of neighbors in the street every day. Did you know that many of these do not return to their homes after a rehabilitation, a priori with the sole purpose of improving the facilities, the building where they live? Helping and shielding the tenant must be something fundamental on the part of the administrations.The City Council of Barcelona faces a host of urban and housing challenges: the creation of public housing, helping the most vulnerable people in this sense, the challenge of tourist apartments, regulating the rental bubble in some way or ending with the "evictions for works", among others. What do we mean when we speak of "evictions for works".It happens mostly in the oldest buildings and the most central of the city, in short the most desired. The neighbors are forced to leave their homes because the building must be rehabilitated, until there is no problem, it is about improving the building and its security and therefore the quality of life of the neighbors. But when finishing the works, they can not return. They have been the object of real estate speculation.So that this does not continue happening, the City council of Barcelona will change the ordinance that regulates the rehabilitations of the buildings. The objective is not another that the tenants of these properties are relocated during the works but the owner assures that they will return to their homes once finished. With this turn of the helm it is intended to help the victims of speculative operations and improve the measures of rehabilitation of buildings in an essential sector in the city.Measures against urban speculationThe new ordinance, which must logically follow all reform companies, construction companies and owners, will introduce all owners to meet the legal rights of relocation of tenants in cases of rehabilitation and that they return when they are completed. Also that those works that affect the subsoil, the owners must undertake safety measures that respect both the neighboring properties and the public space.The approval will be made in two phases and for the moment it has received the first approval, on January 18. In parallel, the Government Commission has approved the process of modification of the ordinance, pending the processing in the Plenary of the Municipal Council.