MADRID – Spain’s housing minister María Antonia Trujillo tried to put an end Wednesday to the controversy over her remarks about providing 180,000 new homes each year.

Trujillo said the new Socialist government would ensure that “180,000 Spanish families will have access every year to 180,000 homes”.

With a shortage of affordable homes in Spain, the Socialists promised voters they would provide 180,000 homes each year – a claim which was derided by the opposition conservative Popular Party.

Trujillo provoked controversy last week when she said the Spanish government would provide 180,000 ‘actions’ which would bring citizens new homes.

The comments, in a television interview, sparked a debate about the semantics of her language.

The PP said it meant the government could not deliver on this promise.

But Trujillo said Wednesday the government will approve a ‘plan of attack’ next month to provide people with access to new, used, rented homes.

She dismissed doubts about the plan voiced by Eduardo Cuenca, an independent senator.

“Though, unfortunately, the results will only be seen in the long-term, the government will begin in the medium term a new housing plan between 2005-08 to reverse the reverse the tendency of the last eight years, ” she said.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news