Torrevieja is set to welcome 811 new affordable homes under the Generalitat Valenciana’s Plan Vive, but the announcement is likely to draw sharp criticism once more, after the local socialist councillors previously raised concerns over the high number of existing vacant properties in the city, and could also ignite complaints from buyers over the juxtaposition of publicly funded social homes alongside luxury developments.
According to local socialists, more than 30,000 homes in Torrevieja currently stand empty, despite efforts to promote affordable housing. The controversy is compounded by the fact that private residences are already under construction in the nearby exclusive Lagoons Village area, with prices starting around €250,000, and some units commanding significantly higher values.
Socialist spokeswoman Bárbara Soler had labelled the government’s approach as “more than a pantomime with which they try to take credit for the construction of social housing”, pointing out that plots in La Hoya were already designated for social housing long before the Plan Vive announcement. She also highlighted that while 600 units were initially promised, the final figure has still fallen short—having decreased from earlier projections.
Further criticism was directed at the regional administration for increasing public housing rental rates to levels close to market prices in some areas, calling the pricing strategy “unacceptable” and questioning its real affordability.
Despite the tension, the Plan Vive contracts have been officially awarded, and construction is expected to begin soon on Council land in Torrevieja. However, PSOE officials could argue that the city would be better served by repurposing some of the thousands of empty private homes already on the market, rather than building new projects that border high-end developments and the natural park which led to the environmental benefits of the area, now potentially becoming another victim of over construction.
