María Jesús Montero to Announce New Affordable Housing in Sevilla

SEVILLA, Spain — María Jesús Montero, the first deputy prime minister and minister of finance, will visit the site of the former Daoiz y Velarde Artillery Regiment in Sevilla on Friday to announce plans for up to 948 affordable housing units.

These homes come after the government awarded a contract worth 13.75 million euros for their construction, following earlier announcements. In January 2021, former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos unveiled plans for the urban development of this site, which had a proposed budget of 38 million euros.

The construction initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to combat housing shortages, with the socialist government announcing plans to build a total of 1,800 homes in Andalucía over the past two and a half years.

In early 2021, Ábalos stated that a new protocol would soon be signed between the City Council of Sevilla, then led by Juan Espadas, the Regional Government of Andalucía, and the ministry to promote additional affordable housing projects, adding 585 more units.

The history of the project stretches back further. In 2008, a collaboration was announced between the Ministries of Defense and Housing to develop a total of 449 protected housing units on this property. Espadas and then-CEO of Sepes, Lucrecio Fernández, informed local community groups about ongoing urban developments in early 2021.

The project parameters include urbanizing over 14.21 hectares and developing facilities such as green spaces and sports areas. The initiative aims to create 33,450 square meters of green areas and 14,465 square meters for public use, totaling around 55% of the project area.

Criticism followed Montero’s announcement from Rocío Díaz, the regional minister for development, who accused her of exploiting the situation for political gain. Díaz pointed out that the government has made such promises for nearly two decades without any actual progress.

Díaz further noted, “Three socialist ministers have made similar promises in the last seven years.” These comments highlight the perceived disconnect between government rhetoric and actual housing delivery in the region.

The upcoming announcement fuels skepticism about the true timeline and implementation of these housing units, as previous commitments resulted in stalled progress.