Illa announces joint housing purchase between the Generalitat and individuals over 40

The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has presented an unprecedented formula in Spain during the General Policy Debate: the administration will acquire up to 60% of the housing and the citizen the rest. The measure, endowed with an initial 100 million, aims to facilitate access to property for those over 40 years old.

The Generalitat will buy alongside citizens. President Salvador Illa revealed this Tuesday in the Parlament a mechanism that, according to his words, has no precedent in Spain: shared housing acquisition between the administration and individuals. The formula is supported by the Catalan civil code, which in its articles 547.1 and 547.10 allows for the creation of joint purchase figures between the Administration and citizens, as reported by elplural.com.

The plan is designed for people over 40 years who can afford the monthly mortgage payment but cannot gather the deposit required by banks. The Generalitat will contribute 100 million euros as initial funding to kick off the program.

The distribution of ownership will vary according to the buyer's age. Between 40 and 55 years, the administration will acquire half of the property and the individual the other half. From 56 years onwards, the public percentage rises to 60% and the private remains at 40%.

The residency periods will also be adjusted to each age group. The first group will be able to live in the property under this scheme for 50 years; the second, a maximum of 40 years. During that time, the private owner will retain the right to sell their share or leave it as an inheritance.

At the end of the period, the citizen will decide whether to buy the Generalitat's share and keep the entire property or, conversely, whether the administration retains the whole. In any case, the housing acquired through this formula will be permanently integrated into the official protection stock.

“Families win because they will be able to access housing at a much lower price and live for a long period of 40 or 50 years as owners with security and without depending on rent,” stated Illa.

The president has expressed his willingness to negotiate the measure with parliamentary groups. “It is a new path,” he emphasised, before offering to speak with “all parliamentary groups that can enrich the proposal.”

Alongside this initiative, Illa announced the creation of an emergency housing fund endowed with 25 million euros expandable. Its aim is to buy housing from individuals at risk of eviction who have already exhausted all avenues to remain in it. The Govern wants “all involved actors” to participate in the fund, including municipal and supramunicipal administrations.

“It is a mission for the country. It is not only the dignity of individuals at stake, but also the values that define us as a society,” declared the Catalan president.

In terms of youth emancipation, the government is expanding the Préstecs Emancipació program, which offers zero-interest loans to cover 20% of the deposit for a home. Previously limited to the purchase of a first residence, the program will also finance the acquisition of protected housing (20% of the surface rights or bare ownership) and the payment of 20% of rehabilitation works.

The maximum amount of these loans, which was previously 50,000 euros, will be adjusted to the cost of living, as Illa specified. The measure aims to broaden young people's access to property in a context of rising prices.

All these initiatives are framed within the General Policy Debate of 2026, which began this Tuesday in the Catalan Chamber and has housing as one of its central axes. The proposals will need to be specified in the coming months, when the Govern details the requirements and procedures for accessing each program.