The Basque government has announced the preparation of a Plan Territorial Sectorial for housing. Housing Minister Denis Itxaso (Departamento de Vivienda) presented the initiative at an event in Vienna . The plan is intended to set out on a region-wide map, from a metropolitan perspective, where construction can take place and in what order. The government estimates the available land capacity at around 160,000 homes; a substantial share is allocated to subsidised projects. Vitoria-Gasteiz’s stated aim is to mobilise land reserves across municipal boundaries and align local planning more closely with wider priorities.
The executive stresses that the plan will not replace municipal instruments, but will create scope for intervention in individual local plans (Plan General de Ordenación Urbana, PGOU). Itxaso spoke of the need for “more leverage” over municipalities to speed up the construction of affordable homes. Talks with the municipal association Eudel and the provincial authorities have been announced. Itxaso also cited Vienna as a model for integrated housing policy instruments, while emphasising the significant differences in circumstances and responsibilities.
The government aims for initial formal approval during the current legislative term, which ends in spring 2028. Final adoption is expected “around 2030”. Priorities, deadlines and responsibilities are also to be set out in binding terms, so that public funds, land reserves and projects do not get held up in individual procedures. This also includes better coordination with Etxebide, the register of publicly subsidised housing, against a backdrop of rising demand.
As an organisational step, an external expert was commissioned in August. According to transparency disclosures, expert Iñigo Peñalba received a three-year contract worth €302,500 including VAT to provide methodological support for the drafting. The administration justifies outsourcing the work on the grounds that it has “insufficient resources” in-house.
Outstanding issues include the legal details of intervention in municipal planning autonomy, the precise quantification of land that can be mobilised and coordination with existing programmes under the Agenda Urbana. These matters are to be discussed in the Basque Parliament; Itxaso has announced a detailed presentation for November. Opposition figures and associations have expressed general interest in more affordable housing, but have raised questions about how costs are distributed, how the plans are funded and the role of private actors. The government counters that a binding regional framework is needed to bring investment together and move projects to the construction-ready stage more quickly.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).