The Monitoring Committee of the Social Housing Fund (FSV) has agreed to expand by 3,974 the number of apartments available to people especially affected by the crisis and who cannot afford the mortgage. The FSV thus brings together a total of 9,866 homes contributed by 29 financial entities. It has also been agreed to include new groups among the possible beneficiaries, such as those over 60 years of age or married couples and unmarried couples without children and non-mortgage debtors. The set of measures promoted by the Government to alleviate the problem of evictions have so far benefited some 45,000 families. In addition to the FSV, the Code of Good Practice, the moratorium on launches and improvements in the operation of the mortgage market are operational.
The FSV was created in January 2013 with 5,892 homes contributed by banks to provide assistance to the most vulnerable families through reduced rents (between 150 and 400 euros per month, with a maximum limit of 30% of the income of the family unit) . It expired two years after its constitution (last January 17) but the Government has extended it for two more years, until January 2017. It was established by agreement between the Ministries of Economy, Health and Development, the main credit institutions and their associations, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and the Third Sector Platform.
With the expansion to 9,866 homes, the FSV aims to cover a greater number of situations that require a response from all the agencies and entities involved. The same objective is pursued with the inclusion of new groups that would give the right to obtain a FSV home. Specifically, people over 60 and marriages or domestic partners without children may request it. It is also expected that at least 5% of FSV homes will be used by people evicted from their home due to non-payment of non-mortgage loans, provided that they meet the other requirements. The possibility of agreements with the Town Halls and entities of the Third Sector and the launch of a website with all the information is also contemplated.
These requirements are added to those already in force that, taken as a whole, do not leave any person or family in difficulties unattended. Those who have lost their habitual residence after January 1, 2008 due to non-payment of a mortgage loan, including those who have not yet been evicted or those who have agreed to give in payment, can join the FSV. They must meet a series of economic requirements, specifically, that the total annual income of the family unit does not exceed the limit of three times the Public Indicator of Multiple Effects Income.
In addition, they must meet other vulnerability requirements, such as being a large family; have minors in charge; have someone disabled; that the debtor is unemployed and has exhausted benefits; victims of gender violence; and all those vulnerable people or family units for which housing is, according to the report of social services, an indispensable asset for the maintenance of their social inclusion.
In May 2014, it was agreed to expand the scope of the Fund to accommodate a greater number of families without the capacity to face the payment of rent on a market basis. With this modification, the possibility was opened for families to stay in the house they lived in even though they had lost it due to forced execution and even after it had been adjudicated. This option was also collected for payments in payment.
Likewise, families with children up to 18 years were included (until then the limit was 3 years); dependent or disabled (minimum 33% disability was removed); early retirees or retirees who have guaranteed their children or grandchildren and other people in a non-classified situation with their homes, but who are advised by social services.
The signing ceremony of the expansion of the FSV in the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness was attended by:
Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: Secretary of State for Economy and Business Support, Íñigo Fernández de Mesa Vargas
Ministry of development: Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Transport and Housing: Julio Gómez-Pomar
Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality: Secretary of State for Social Services and Equality, Susana Camarero Benitez
Bank of Spain: Javier Priego Pérez (Secretary General of the Bank of Spain)
FEMP: Íñigo de la Serna (President of the FEMP)
Third Sector Platform: Juan Lara Crevillén (Vice President for the Consolidation of the Third Sector)
AEB: Javier Rodríguez Pellitero (Secretary General of AEB)
AHE: Santos González (President of AHE)
MINT: Jose María Méndez (General Director of CECA)
UNACC: Cristina Freijanes (Secretary General of UNACC)
Bankia: José Sevilla (CEO)
BBVA: Cristina de Parias (Director of BBVA Spain)
CaixaBank: Juan Antonio Alcaraz (General Business Director of CaixaBank)
ING: Almudena Román Domínguez (General Director of ING DIRECT Spain)
Popular Bank: José Ramón Alonso Lobo (General Director of Business and Clients)
Sabadell Bank: María José García Beato (General Secretary of Banco Sabadell)
Santander Bank: Rami Aboukhair (Country Head Santander Spain)
