The Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC) today publishes a new call for funding, endowed with 250 million euros, to lower the cost of constructing social rental housing. The Housing Agency of Catalonia (AHC) and the Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF) have opened this line of subsidized loans aimed at public and private developers who build homes with official rental protection and who already have a public subsidy (either from the Generalitat or from the Next Generation European Funds), as it makes it possible to finance the part of the cost of housing that is not covered by the subsidy.

The beneficiaries of ICF Social Housing Construction loan line will be able to apply to the ICF for a minimum loan of 250,000 euros, with an initial interest rate of 3.65%, to be repaid over a maximum of 30 years, of which the AHC will subsidize 0.70% (bringing the rate down to 2.95%). The AHC's budget allocation for the 2024 subsidies is 2.1 million euros.

The amount of the new line of financing doubles that announced a year ago, with which 397 social housing units have been promoted in Catalonia so far. This figure will increase once the ICF approves the operations currently under consideration. As the public bank of the Generalitat de Catalunya, housing is a strategic and priority line for the ICF, which focuses its efforts on financing projects for the acquisition, promotion, and renovation of social and affordable rental flats in order to increase the housing stock and guarantee the right to housing for citizens.

In total, since 2018, the ICF has allocated, through the lines subsidized by the Housing Agency of Catalonia, 224.3 million euros to finance projects for the acquisition and promotion of social and affordable rental housing, making possible 2,834 social housing units in Catalonia. This is indicated by the latest data collected by the financial institution of the Generalitat, corresponding to the month of May 2024.