Deal to Deliver 32 Affordable Homes
Berga council is finalising the conditions of an agreement to cede two municipal plots to the Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya, a body under the Catalan government’s Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition, for the construction of 32 public housing units. The decision follows a plenary debate last month and could receive formal approval within days or weeks, depending on whether an extraordinary council meeting is called. The plots, located at the start of the 40 Pilans urbanisation, at the junction of Carrers Gironella and Vallcebre, are corner sites currently vacant. They will host two separate multi-family buildings, with 14 and 18 homes respectively.
Local Residency to Be Prioritised
Urban Planning Councillor Aleix Serra stated that the council has insisted on four key conditions before signing the agreement. First, the homes must be offered through affordable rental or surface rights agreements that are excluded from the speculative market. Second, long-term maintenance must be guaranteed by the managing body. The third and fourth conditions relate to eligibility. The council wants to prevent social segregation and prioritise applicants who are registered residents of Berga. Specifically, the council is pushing for a minimum of three years’ registration (empadronament) in the city to qualify, in line with current regulations.
As a council, our duty is to look after the people of Berga first. We’re not talking about origins, just residency in the city.
Serra clarified that while the council is not involved in the final allocation, it is setting these criteria as part of the transfer agreement.
Land Transfer Model Explained
The arrangement follows a model recently used in other Catalan towns, such as Les Borges del Camp, where the council grants a 75-year surface right to the housing agency under a long-term concession. The Agència de l'Habitatge then launches a public tender to select a private developer to build and manage the homes. In this case, the Berga plots are being transferred at no cost, a significant concession, according to the council, given their potential market value. The homes will be allocated through a competitive public application process run by the agency, which maintains a register of applicants for protected housing under its regulatory framework. This move responds to a recognised shortage of rental housing in Berga. Serra noted that while political groups had differing views during the plenary debate, there is broad consensus that inaction is not an option. The original deadline for land submissions under the regional housing plan was 30 September 2026, but Serra confirmed that the Generalitat has indicated flexibility, welcoming additional sites even after the deadline.
Reported by lesborgesdelcamp.cat, lavanguardia.com, bergueda.cat, Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya, Regió 7.
