The Bergara City Council has declared the municipality a tensioned housing market area, making it one of the 21 Basque municipalities in this situation. This measure aims to improve housing access and address the difficulties faced by citizens, particularly those seeking rental housing. The action plan associated with the declaration establishes measures to limit rental prices, increase affordable supply, mobilize vacant homes, promote rehabilitation, and enhance inter-institutional coordination during the 2026-2028 period.
The Deputy Minister of Housing, Miguel de los Toyos, met last week with Mayor Gorka Artola and the Councilor for Urban Planning, Markel Azkargorta, to analyze the situation and the plan's measures. They also visited several plots intended for the construction of protected housing, such as the municipal plot A17.1 (Artzamendi), and evaluated opportunities in the areas around the Miguel Altuna institute, as well as those of Urteaga and the old Algodonera.
Currently, the average rental price in Bergara has increased by 21.5% in the last five years, and there are 470 active applications in Etxebide, of which 86.6% are from those requesting rental housing. This high demand is compounded by the small stock of protected and public housing, which represents only 6.4% of the total.
Mayor Gorka Artola emphasized that access to decent housing is one of the main concerns of citizens and a priority for the City Council. "We must work so that those who wish to develop a life project in Bergara have real opportunities to access housing at an affordable price," he stated.
The plan does not propose a new short-term residential expansion but rather aims to better leverage existing opportunities to increase public and protected supply and strengthen collaboration between administrations. To this end, it foresees agreements with the Basque Government and Visesa. Miguel de los Toyos noted that "the declaration of a tensioned area gives us tools, but the most important thing is to use these tools within a realistic, coordinated, and executable strategy."
It proposes mobilizing vacant homes by maintaining incentives for the Bizigune program and studying fiscal measures, as well as promoting rehabilitation. Furthermore, the plan facilitates the conversion of commercial premises into housing, the study of the division of certain farmhouses, and the possibility of segregating large homes.
The plan includes measures to improve attention to people needing housing and enhance inter-institutional coordination. In 2024, 51.32% of the municipal expenditure on social emergency aid was allocated to rent. The goal is for more and more people to find adequate and affordable housing in Bergara.
