This program will focus on both blocks promoted by Ensanche 21 and those gradually rehabilitated by the municipal society, with the aim of allocating them for habitual and permanent residence for young people through rental agreements. The initiative's objectives are to recover the "social function of housing, putting them into use under rental agreements, ensuring the right to decent housing through renting, and promoting rental rates appropriate to the income levels of the young beneficiaries of this program, in addition to contributing to the rejuvenation of the neighborhood's population," explained Borja Rodríguez, councilor for City Model, Urban Planning, Housing, and president of Ensanche 21.
For his part, EH Bildu councilor Xabier Ruiz de Larramendi, stated that this is "a protected rental program of our own that will serve to put the housing blocks being built or completely rehabilitated in the Casco Viejo at the service of young people. It is aimed at individuals between 18 and 35 years old, with rents ranging between €200 and €550 per month, which in no case will exceed 30% of their income. A program that will offer young people affordable and stable rent allowing them to become independent and start their own independent life projects."
Once published on the Municipal Urban Planning Society's website, a two-month period will be opened for applicants to register. After this period, a technical commission will be responsible for evaluating each registration, and after approval by the Ensanche 21 council, a list of admitted individuals who meet the requirements will be published. This list will include the score of each application for assigning the appropriate type of housing based on the composition of the cohabiting unit.
Individuals or cohabiting units interested in participating in this public procedure must meet the following requirements by the application deadline: At least one member must be of legal age and be under 36 years old at the time of application. A minimum of 3 years of residency in the municipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz for at least one member of the cohabiting unit. Members of the cohabiting unit must not own their own home and must have had weighted income between €820.5 and €51,282 in the last tax period, which is a maximum of three times the Interprofessional Minimum Wage (SMI).
Bidding criteria also include seniority on the program's applicant list, belonging to groups with special housing needs for people with intellectual disabilities or mental illness, having daily work in the Casco Medieval, having a first-degree relative by consanguinity or affinity with a dependency degree residing in the Casco Medieval itself, and young people who have resided in their parental home in the Casco for more than 3 years.
The allocation of housing will be based on the size of the dwellings and the number of members in the cohabiting unit. The dwellings will be for the habitual and permanent residence of the awardees, and the lease term will be a minimum of 7 years, with the possibility of extension under the conditions stipulated in Article 10 of Law 29/1994.
The monthly rent to be paid by the awardees will be determined based on the weighted income of the cohabiting unit and the size of the allocated dwelling. These amounts range from the lowest price of €200 per month for a one-bedroom apartment for applicants with incomes between €12,820.5 and €17,094, up to the highest of €550 for a three-bedroom or larger apartment for applicants with annual incomes between €42,736 and €51,282.
In any case, the price will not exceed 30% of the cohabiting unit's gross annual income, and if any individual receives public housing assistance, that amount must be fully included in the rent payable.
