Renting an apartment with a fully equipped kitchen, heating and cooling systems, common areas, a garage, a storage room, ground-floor units equipped with municipal facilities, or commercial spaces… and paying between €450 and €900, at most. It may sound like a wish list, but these are the apartments that the Rivas City Council will offer as part of the Municipal Strategic Plan for Housing and Land Use.
The Rivas City Council has taken another step forward in advancing this project by giving the green light to the first three lots of the project, which calls for the construction of more than 500 public housing units available for affordable rent.
With these units, and those scheduled to be added to the plan, the Rivas City Council will expand its current supply of 758 affordable rental apartments to a public housing stock of at least 1,258 units.
As for the price, it has been set below the maximum established by the Community of Madrid for affordable housing—which, incidentally, is 11.78 euros per square meter.
What will the new affordable rental apartments in Rivas be like?
As for the types of apartments, the goal is for them to adapt to different housing needs. For this reason, they are designed to meet “the diversity of households in Rivas: from the younger population and families with children to new family models,” according to city officials.
This means that while all units will include a storage room and a garage—which are included in the rent—depending on the unit type , they will feature a dining room, kitchen, entryway, half-bath, double bedroom, and either a balcony or a patio.
The kitchens, meanwhile, will be equipped with base and wall cabinets, a stovetop, sink, and range hood, and the homes will feature cross-ventilation to enhance energy efficiency.
Construction of the housing units will take place in the area surrounding Trece Rosas, Picos de Urbión, and José Hierro streets, on municipally-owned public land where the construction of affordable housing is permitted—provided that the units are for rent, so as not to lose their public housing status.
The three developments will be carried out under a concession model, with the land remaining publicly owned. At the end of the concession period, the homes will revert to the Rivas City Council.
How are affordable rental apartments in Rivas allocated?
As for the allocation of the housing units, the selection of eligible applicants will be carried out through the Municipal Housing and Land Company (EMVS). This agency will determine the eligibility criteria for these apartments.
Furthermore, once the allocation process is complete, if any housing units remain available, the EMVS’s single registry will be used.