An ambitious “State Pact” to increase emancipation of working-class youth, including a €1,000 state grant to help cover the costs of renting or buying a house, was proposed by the centre-right Partido Popular (Popular Party/EPP) on Tuesday.

Party leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, stressed that such a pact would require the support of all public administrations in Spain, including local councils, autonomous regions and the central government, EFE reported.

Spanish youth is facing serious difficulties in achieving economic independence and emancipation due to precarious employment conditions and skyrocketing rent prices, with youth living with their parents until their 30s, a recent report by the NGO Ayuda en Acción revealed.

According to official figures, young people in Spain spend on average more than 70% of their salaries to pay rent.

The problem of housing is a hot topic for all political parties, from the left-wing camp (PSOE, Unidas Podemos and Sumar) to centre-right PP, liberals of Ciudadanos and the far-right party Vox, ahead of two crucial elections in the country.

In addition to the €1,000 aid for emancipation, Nuñez Feijóo proposed guaranteeing the rental deposit, extending the current public youth rental voucher and increasing the transfer of land from municipalities and regions that had other uses for building new houses with rent prices by 40% below the current market price.

The presentation of the proposal coincided with the approval by the Spanish Council of Ministers of the allocation of 50,000 homes from the public rental housing stock at affordable prices for the youth, EFE reported. Last week, Spain’s progressive Government approved a new housing law to make homes more accessible for the youth.

The public rental housing stock in Spain barely amounts to 2% of the total real estate stock, while in other EU countries, such as the Netherlands, the public rental stock makes up 30% of the total. However, Núñez Feijoo described the move as “insufficient and inefficient.”

“There are no easy solutions to complex problems, they are populist and interventionist measures that make prices more expensive,” said Feijoo.

In the case of buying a home, the PP proposal includes guaranteeing 15% of the total purchase price so that, together with the mortgage, young people can get 100% of the money they need and guaranteeing the eviction of squatters within 24 hours with tougher penalties.

“A person who squats is the same as everyone else. If they are (financially) vulnerable, we will help them, but they cannot squat without this having repercussions,” said Feijoo.

Spain will hold regional and municipal elections on 28 May, with a general election expected to take place in December, during the country’s final month of presidency of the EU Council.

According to a fresh survey, housing ranks among the population’s top concerns, together with high inflation and food prices.

(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.EURACTIV.es)