Saturday, March 13, 2010

Housing for the young in Torrevieja

It is almost impossible for young people in any country to get on the property ladder these days. As the price of housing shot up in the 80s and 90s it became more and more difficult for them to find the necessary deposit let alone get mortgages they could afford.

Recognising the existence of this problem has led Torrevieja town council to finding a solution. The Third Vice President of the Generalitat Valencia and Councillor for the Environment, Water, Urbanism and Housing, Juan Cotino have signed an agreement with the Mayor of Torrevieja, Pedro Hernández Mateo, approving plans for the construction of a new sheltered housing estate exclusively offered to youngsters of the municipality aged 18 to 35 years.

The project, which will cost 12,500,000 Euros will provide 116 apartments on four sites with between 16 and 40 houses on each for rent with the possibility for the young people to purchase at some point in the future.

Not wishing to throw a damp squid on the idea, I remember when the council in Moreton provided accommodation for young families in blocks of flats near to where we lived. That policy created all sorts of problems.

At first everything worked out well but then with a high percentage of low income and unemployed youngsters renting the flats, the problems started. Within a short space of time, the flats became a no go area for older people who moved as as soon as they could. Then there was a massive problem with drug trafficking. Eventually the council had to change its plans and move the young people out.

Since Torrevieja plans to only have a small number of these social houses in each area, they may avoid the massive problems in Moreton, I hope so because the last thing the town needs is to create ghettos.

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