The Ombudsman Challenges Appointment-Only System in Administration

The Ombudsman has launched an investigation following public complaints about the appointment-only system of the Valencian Housing and Land Entity (EVHA), which causes "difficulties in accessing essential procedures." The Ombudsman of the Valencian Community, Ángel Luna, aims to clarify "whether this practice, widespread after the pandemic, violates the principles of proximity and effective service that administrations must guarantee to the public, as a guarantee of the right to good administration."

The Ombudsman reminds in a statement that "public service is a fundamental pillar in the relationship between the administration and society," as highlighted by the recent Decree 30/2025 of the Consell, which emphasizes "the importance of providing accessible and nearby channels to ensure citizens' trust and satisfaction."

However, he continued, "the widespread use of the appointment-only system at the EVHA has generated numerous complaints, especially after the pandemic, when this measure, initially exceptional, has become a regular requirement for accessing in-person services, even for simple procedures like document submission."

The Ombudsman stressed that he already warned in his 2022 annual report that "the appointment-only system, once health restrictions are lifted, may constitute an unjustified barrier infringing rights recognized by the Common Administrative Procedure Law and the Public Sector Legal Regime Law."

According to the institution, "this practice is more a result of administrative inertia than a real organizational need" and "may hinder effective access to essential public services, such as the right to housing."

The investigation opened by the Ombudsman focuses on the management of the appointment-only system at the EVHA, the entity responsible for promoting and managing public housing in the Valencian Community. The Ombudsman has found that "the current system presents significant limitations because each EVHA office operates with different schedules and procedures."

In this regard, he pointed out that in the Valencian Community there are four offices distributed across the three provincial capitals: two in Valencia, one in Alicante, and another in Castellón de la Plana. However, appointments can only be made at two of them. Specifically, at one in the capital of Turia and another in Alicante. Meanwhile, the other office in the city of Valencia does not offer public service, and the one in Castellón is currently closed.

Additionally, the EVHA website refers to other service points "that are not always available to housing applicants," according to the Ombudsman, who has requested the entity dependent on the regional administration "to provide a report within a month to justify the appointment-only system, detail the access channels, explain the differences between offices, and quantify the real demand of users." In this regard, he requests information on "the available human resources, collaboration with social services, and the reasons for the current restrictions."