We are pleased to welcome the first Eurhonet member from Spain: OAL Viviendas Municipales de Bilbao. We are looking forward to learning more about the work of our colleagues in Bilbao, and we are certain that this addition to our membership will bring new perspectives and opportunities to share skills and best practice. To find out more, we spoke to Chairperson Yolanda Díez Saiz.

Yolanda Díez Saiz

Chairperson, OAL Viviendas Municipales de Bilbao

Welcome to Eurhonet! Can you tell us about OAL Viviendas Municipales de Bilbao?

“Our commitment means we look after those who have the fewest resources and have been waiting for some time to be allocated public housing to rent. It also means we look after those who, while enjoying it, go through difficult times and all those families whose difficulties put them at serious risk of exclusion.

The existence of Viviendas Municipales [Municipal Housing] dates back to 1918. Faced with a shortage of affordable housing in the city, the City Council created the Housing Board that year, as a delegated body of the local authority. Its mission: building affordable housing and administering these properties in the form of rentals. Throughout its existence, the Housing Board has built various blocks of houses. The building work was carried out with funds from the City Council, subsidies and loans from the Provincial Council of Biscay, from the State, from savings banks and with the income generated by the institution itself.

In 1988, 70 years after the Housing Board was founded, the organisation was overhauled and updated. This led to the creation of Viviendas Municipales de Bilbao, a generic name that grouped together two entities with different legal statuses: the Local Autonomous Organisation (OAL) Municipal Housing and Viviendas Municipales Sociedad Comanditaria por Acciones [Municipal Housing Limited Partnership], a commercial company incorporated in the 1940s to fulfil the legal obligation of large companies to provide housing for their workers, where Bilbao City Council acted as sole director and majority shareholder.

This company was dissolved in 2008, and its assets were integrated into the OAL Viviendas Municipales de Bilbao, which remains the sole legal instrument for the development of municipal housing policy in Bilbao.”

What is your background and how did you end up working in public housing?

“I have been involved in municipal politics in Bilbao for 18 years. For the last two terms of office, I have been in charge of the Health and Consumer Affairs Department, and I am currently the City Councillor for Housing. A change of subject with the same objective, that of improving people’s quality of life.

Housing is an area that generates great concern among citizens. It directly affects people, especially young people, vulnerable groups, etc. That is why we work to implement local policies with the commitment to promote access to decent housing for all people, regardless of their circumstances.”

What does public housing mean to you?

“The right to housing is a vital necessity for human beings, in that it conditions the enjoyment of other essential rights and facilitates and enables human beings to lead a dignified life. Housing is understood as the fourth pillar of the welfare state and housing policy as an essential instrument for the sustainable development of society.”

What are the best and most challenging aspects of your role?

“Access to decent, affordable housing is a priority for the sustainable development of Bilbao. My role is exciting because it allows me to work directly on improving the living conditions of many people and on building a more equitable and cohesive city.

The most important challenge is undoubtedly the high demand for public housing in relation to the available supply. We know that many people in Bilbao have difficulty accessing housing at reasonable prices, and our goal is to expand and improve the municipal housing stock. We also work on rehabilitation and energy efficiency, ensuring that our housing is sustainable and accessible to all, especially those in vulnerable situations.”

What motivates you in your role?

“Without a doubt the possibility of generating a positive and tangible impact on people’s lives. Knowing that every initiative we launch contributes to improving the well-being of citizens is a great source of satisfaction. From the promotion of new subsidised housing developments to the regeneration of neighbourhoods, every step we take is aimed at making Bilbao a more liveable, inclusive city with opportunities for all.

I am also motivated by teamwork and collaboration with different stakeholders: institutions, social groups and the business community itself. Listening and responding to the needs of Bilbao’s residents, and seeing how our policies can transform their lives, is what drives me every day to continue working with commitment and dedication.”

What are the key priorities of your organisation right now?

• To make policies and programmes in favour of decent and affordable housing a strategic municipal priority.
• To continue expanding the municipal public housing stock.
• To obtain more value from the municipal public housing stock, allocating it to new social needs.
• To achieve greater citizen and social participation in the development, monitoring and evaluation of municipal housing policy.
• To bring municipal housing services closer to the people of Bilbao through new channels.
• To intensify participation in networks and collaboration with other agents and digitalisation as ways to innovate in housing promotion and management.

Can you tell us about a recent project that you are proud of?

“One of the recent projects that I am particularly proud of is the Bilbao Affordable Housing Plan, through which we are making progress on the construction of hundreds of subsidised and social housing units to facilitate access to housing for young people, families and groups in difficulty.

In addition, we have increased rental support for young people, facilitating their emancipation and ensuring that they can develop their life plans in our city.

Another recent success has been the expansion of the building renovation programme, which improves the energy efficiency and accessibility of many homes in Bilbao, benefiting both residents and the city as a whole. All of this contributes to our goal of consolidating a modern, sustainable and socially just Bilbao.”

What are the main challenges in the public housing sector in your region?

• To improve the links and synergies between municipal housing policy and other policies linked to the sustainable development of Bilbao, and specifically, the policy of economic development and attracting talent.
• To satisfy the demand for housing from specific groups in vulnerable situations while at the same time making public housing affordable.
• To exert influence through the declaration of areas with price tensions and favourable rental conditions in order to reduce the burden of housing costs.

What made you want to join Eurhonet?

“The European dimension of the network, its clearly local character, and the high level of specialisation are a great motivation for us to join.

It is an honour to become the first member from Spain because it places the management of public housing in Bilbao in a privileged position, acknowledged for its track record and experience in Spain after more than 100 years of existence, precisely the first public company set up in Spain. And it currently has the highest ratio of social and affordable housing per inhabitant in Spain, 1 home for every 82 inhabitants.”

What are you hoping to gain from the network?

“The exchange of knowledge and best practices, as well as solidarity and fraternity between the peoples of Europe.

Beyond inviting the other Eurhonet members to learn about our activity, values and strategies, we hope to demonstrate that we are fully willing and open-minded to learn about other realities and Bilbao’s commitment to public housing.”