A RIGHT-WING coalition expected to take power in Castilla y Leon has vowed to introduce strict residency requirements for access to key public services, mirroring what may happen nationwide if Pedro Sanchez loses his grip on power at next year’s general election.
The regional government, set to be formed by the conservative Partido Popular (PP) and far-right Vox after elections held in March, would require applicants seeking to buy a subsidised public home to have been registered as ‘empadronados’ in both Castilla y Leon and Spain for at least 10 years.
Those hoping to rent social housing, meanwhile, would require a minimum five years of residency.
Priority would instead be given to groups the government says have been most affected by the current housing crisis, including young families, disabled people and households with dependents.
The measures form part of the so-called ‘national priority’ plan, one of the central planks of Vox’s immigration and welfare policy.
The proposal would give Spanish nationals, or those with what the party describes as ‘Spanish roots’, preferential access to certain public services ahead of foreigners, including social housing, healthcare facilities and education.
In the case of Castilla y Leon, officials say the plan will ensure public housing is allocated first to people with a ‘real, lasting and verifiable’ connection to the region.
They argue that such an approach will help to promote social cohesion and encourage people to remain in the region, which has long suffered from high levels of emigration.
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But critics say the controversial policy risks discriminating against legal foreign residents living in Spain, including the large British and Irish expat community.
The current proposal forms part of a wider governing agreement struck between the two parties earlier this year.
The PP secured 33 seats in March’s vote – three more than the rival socialist PSOE, but still short of the 42 required to command a majority within the regional chamber.
That forced leader Alfonso Fernandez Mañueco to enter coalition talks with Vox, who upped their seat count by one from the most recent election in 2022 to 14.
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As part of the agreement, the two parties have pledged an 80 per cent increase in regional housing investment.
Tax breaks and homeownership support will also be introduced to under-40s in an attempt to dissuade talented youngsters from upping sticks and looking for opportunities elsewhere.
