12 April 2005

BARCELONA-A political row has blown up over controversial government plans to solve Spain´s housing crisis by introducing state ´mini-flats´ measuring just 30 square metres.

The Socialist housing minister Maria Antonia Trujillo announced plans to ease the lack of affordable housing by renting or selling low price flats which are only 30sqm in total.

The Socialists have promised to alleviate the lack of affordable housing by building 180,000 each year.

House prices in Spain rose 17 percent last year, making buying a home an impossible dream for many young families.

But just a day after the government's latest plan to build smaller flats was unveiled, the regional government  in Catalonia, north-east Spain, has refused to invest in the scheme.

Carme Trilla, Catalan housing minister, said: "We will not invest in flats of this size."

Trilla said that the minimum size of apartment which was habitable was 60sqm but the average public flat measured between 70-80sqm.

For larger families public housing can be up to 120 sqm in Catalonia.

Trilla said these small apartments brought back memories of flats made in the Franco era, which now present many problems to reconvert.

But for the Trujillo smaller flats were a way of solving housing shortages which have been used in Nordic countries and which have worked.

She made the announcement at a housing exhibition in Barcelona which is running throughout this week.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news