Orihuela Housing Plans Questioned as Council Rejects Opposition Proposals

Orihuela’s council says more than 2,000 subsidised homes are included in development plans, but opposition parties argue that residents facing rising rents need action now.

Housing and school conditions dominated an extraordinary council meeting requested by PSOE, Ciudadanos and Cambiemos after their motions were left out of the previous session.

Urban Planning Councillor Matías Ruiz defended the PP-Vox administration’s housing record, saying there were only 239 applications for public housing.

However, the figure of more than 2,000 homes relates to properties that developers must set aside for subsidised housing within planned developments. It does not mean those homes have been built or are available.

Ruiz listed 650 planned subsidised homes in coastal development area PAU-7, another 534 in PAU-9 and 286 in Mil Palmeras. Further allocations cover Orihuela city and La Murada.

He also said 20 municipal homes in the historic centre accommodate vulnerable residents and that Social Services provides more than 142 rental assistance grants.

Cambiemos proposed measures including reserving public land for social housing, buying and renovating empty properties for affordable rental, supporting housing cooperatives and seeking designation as an area under housing pressure.

The party cited official rental data showing increases of at least 42.9% in the city centre since 2015. Across Orihuela Costa, increases exceeded 50% in every census district and reached 60% in some.

The governing PP-Vox coalition rejected the motion. Ruiz criticised its approach and called instead for national legislation to speed up development approvals.

A separate PSOE housing proposal was also defeated. Socialist councillor Milagros Lacárcel criticised delays in establishing the municipal housing and land company, saying its original €5 million allocation had fallen to €1.5 million.

Ruiz announced that the company’s first board meeting would take place on Thursday. He also highlighted plans to identify empty homes in the historic centre for possible council purchase.

Education prompted further exchanges. Ciudadanos spokesperson José Aix called for the Municipal School Council to meet over building defects and inadequate facilities, and demanded Education Councillor Vicente Pina’s resignation.

Aix also referred to a school infrastructure protest planned for Saturday.

Pina rejected the criticism, defending progress on Virgen de la Puerta school and saying a replacement could be ready within three or four years. The education motion was rejected.

Two of the six opposition motions passed unanimously: tighter controls on municipal vehicle use and improved compliance with data protection rules.

The latter followed publication of the identities of around 600 social aid recipients in council financial documents online. Aix confirmed that the list had been removed.

For coastal residents, the debate leaves a central question unanswered: when will planned subsidised housing become available, and how much will it cost?

No delivery timetable for the coastal developments was provided in the account of the meeting.

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