The Xunta relaxes the rules for converting business premises into homes

The Xunta will modify the regulations on housing in Galicia with a purpose facilitate the transformation of business basements into homes. The preliminary draft of the regulation will be submitted for public consultation from tomorrow until next March 13, so that interested parties can present their statements. The forecast of the Galician government is that it will come into force during the same year. It will not be necessary for the reform to go through the Parliament, which will shorten the processing time.

Regional President, Alfonso Ruedahe explained that there is already a possibility of changing the purpose of the ground floor to a residential one, but the current regulations, which date from 2010, contain conditions that are outdated and because of which many owners give up.

Rueda explained some of the major changes. It will no longer be necessary to change the general plan to qualify a housing as exterior, but councils will be able to define that situation when it arises. The privacy protection It will no longer require that the windows have a certain height, but other systems can be used so that the occupants cannot be seen from the outside. Criteria for interior remodeling, so that they could be adapted to the specific needs of the residents. Finally, the redundant items will be removed with the rest sectoral legislation and aspects of the articles will be clarified to adapt to the current market in matters such as the arrangement of elements in bathrooms and toilets.

The changes, President Xunte emphasized, were analyzed and discussed in Galician Housing Observatory and on the housing advisory committee, which held several meetings last year to finalize regulatory reform.

Rueda emphasized that with the regulatory change «It is not about avoiding or making commercial use of two places without enabling others“, and insisted that “What we are looking for is a ground floor that will not have a commercial purpose, but can have a residential purpose». He added that Xunta’s goal is to expand the range of available homes, with “avoid the sense of degradation produced by low abandoned terrains both in the center and in the districts of the cities».

Purchase of 40 apartments for 3.5 million from Sareb

The Xunte president also announced the purchase 40 houses in Sarebu for 3.5 million euros. The estates are distributed among 16 municipalities, although the majority—ten—are located in Vigo.

The operation, which will take effect in the coming weeks, will increase Xunte’s public housing stock to 3,700 properties. The goal of the Galician government is to allocate apartments to social rent. Many are already occupied by vulnerable people, who will be able to continue using them.