What is social housing?

What are the characteristics of a social home? How can I access one?

You have probably heard of social housing, also called local authority housing, but I also bet that you don´t know its exact characteristics. What conditions must they meet, what requirements must you meet in order to access it, what benefits it provides, and what drawbacks it has ... Discover all this on today's post!

What is a social home or a local authority house?

A social home is a property that meets certain requirements marked by each autonomous community. These requirements are usually determined dimensions and above all, what makes the difference, a maximum sale price. By complying with these limitations, the promoter obtains from the government a series of aids that facilitate its sale. Therefore, the price of an authority house is always lower than that of a free house and allows many people to obtain a home at an affordable price.

What requirements do I have to meet to access one?

Not everyone can access a social home, there are several requirements that you must meet. These conditions may vary slightly depending on the autonomous community but, generally, they coincide in:

• Not having owned another social home in Spain. The only exception is if you show that the previous home was inadequate for your personal and familiar situation.
• Not being the owner of a free house. A free house is the one we all know, promoted by a private company and without a "fixed price."
• Having low family income. The exact figures will depend on each autonomous community.
• Not having received state or regional aid in ten years.
• Being enrolled in the public register of applicants. This record is also created and managed by each autonomous community.

What are the advantages?

The first and great advantage of a local authority house is its price. This will always be lower than that of free housing. However, the cost is not the only advantage! Obtaining a social house will provide you with a number of financial aids such as entry grants, agreed loans, loan subsidies, etc...

And the drawbacks?

Like everything, a local authority house has its good and bad side. As long as it´s a property of this category, it must be your regular and permanent home, without exception. In addition, you will not be able to sell it freely, only under certain conditions and without exceeding a maximum price.

Don´t miss next week´s post. On it you will discover if you can sell a local authority house, how and at what price ...See you next week!