The Council of Ministers approved this Tuesday the transfer of 200 million euros to the autonomous communities for what is called the Young Rental Bonus, aid of 250 euros per month so that those under 35 can pay their rent. The measure, agreed by the Minister of Housing, Isabel Rodríguez, and sector advisors at the Sectoral Conference two weeks ago, represents the reissue of a tool that the Executive launched in 2022.
Housing estimates that this assistance will affect around 66,000 young people. “If we do not react forcefully, Spanish society will end up being divided into two classes. And I don’t want a Spain in which there are rich owners and poor tenants,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Monday after Sunday’s massive housing protest. This measure, however, did not please Sumar. “We are not going to solve this problem by giving money to rentiers or in the form of aid,” said the second vice-president, Yolanda Díaz.
Sumar’s ministries presented a series of observations within the Government, warning that “the rent voucher for young people can worsen the housing problem”, according to training sources. From the PSOE they recall that the measure is included in the coalition agreement.
What we call the Young Rental Bonus is a flat-rate aid of 250 euros per month, for a period of 2 years, intended for people under 35 with monthly income of less than 1,800 euros – three times the Iprem –, with the aim of “facilitating their emancipation or, in any case, access to accommodation or a room under a rental or transfer of use regime”, Housing affirmed a few weeks ago . However, funds are limited and by no means cover all requests.
Several organizations have criticized this subsidy, saying that it raises prices and that “the usual suffer”, if it is not accompanied by other measures, such as price reductions and price controls.
The management of these funds will be the responsibility of the autonomous communities. This means that until now the distribution has been uneven, with problems and obstacles in some communities. In Andalusia, the Chamber of Accounts evaluates the “effectiveness” with which the government of Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla deals with the aid, which has exceeded the legal deadline to be resolved.
By community, the transfers must be ratified at a future meeting of the Sectoral Conference, they represent: 34.2 million euros for Andalusia; 31.8 for Madrid; 29 for Catalonia; 22.8 million for the Valencian Community; 10.8 for Castilla y León and 10.6 for the Canary Islands; 8.8 million for Murcia; 8 for Castile-La Mancha; and 7.6 million for Aragon; 6.6 for Asturias; 6 million for Extremadura; 4.8 million for the Balearic Islands; and 3.8 for Cantabria and 3.4 for La Rioja. The autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla will receive 200,000 euros.
