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One of the projects transforming commercial premises into apartments. A.P.
Alicante Municipality's Solution for Housing: Converting Commercial Premises into Apartments

Alicante Municipality's Solution for Housing: Converting Commercial Premises into Apartments

The City Council has had to amend municipal regulations to transform these unused spaces

Martes, 14 de enero 2025, 17:11

Faced with the pressing housing problem across Spain, with an uncontrolled surge in prices in the province of Alicante, political parties have begun to propose solutions. Both the PP of Núñez Feijóo and the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, have started to announce measures to facilitate access to housing, especially for young people.

Meanwhile, municipalities have already taken action. There is no time to waste, as prices continue to rise, and Alicante has become the province in Spain where second-hand housing prices have increased the most, with rental hikes of up to 130%. Faced with a lack of supply and growing demand, municipalities are taking swift action to create housing wherever possible.

This is the case in the Alicante town of Petrer. Its mayor, Irene Navarro, and the Urban Planning Councillor, David Morcillo, assert that they are "very aware of the current housing problem affecting the entire country, with the urgent need to acquire a home." Therefore, "from the Town Hall, we are doing everything within our power locally, trying to adopt all possible measures and tools to facilitate accessibility," highlighted the mayor.

Their solution: amend municipal regulations to transform commercial premises into apartments. In 2024, they have already converted 42 commercial premises into regular-use homes, with an average renovation cost of 40,000 euros per unit, "beyond the cost of purchasing the premises itself," resulting in over 1.6 million euros of investment.

Specifically, they made a specific amendment to the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) so that, in some areas previously designated as commercial zones, the conversion of long-unused premises into potential residential spaces is permitted.

However, not every premise can be converted into housing. The proposal to convert inactive commercial premises into homes has "other limitations," such as the habitability conditions of the resulting residences, ensuring that the units meet minimum dimensions and adequate ventilation. "We are reviewing all projects because we do not want them to become cramped or substandard housing; we want decent homes," it was emphasised.

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