He was one of the great projects for the end of his mandate, and became one of the great claims for the electoral campaign. On May 23, 2023, only three days before it was voted who would govern Torrejón de Ardoz, a municipality of 140,000 inhabitants in the Community of Madrid, its mayor and candidate, Ignacio Vázquez (PP), celebrated with a tweet the beginning of the works to build 150 public housing for rent in the municipality. “It’s a pioneer measure,” he presumed. Just two months later, Vázquez, who was by absolute majority, as he had been venturing the opposition that would happen, and became the head of the Madrid Metro, so that his salary grew from 73,272 euros to 97,270. After two years, his great project, turned into an electoral claim, has become Fiasco: his successor in the City Council, denounces the PSOE of Javier Castillo, has had to break the contract with the construction company by verifying that the work does not advance.
“The only municipal housing resource that the PP was going to build in its 20 years of government has remained in an electoral announcement,” laments the representative of the Socialists, who is also secretary of Security and Emergency Coordination in the Regional Executive of. “The mayor, breaking the electoral law, announced three days before the elections the construction of 150 public homes for rent,” continues on a project in which the first stone had already been put in January of that year. “He summoned people to go to the City Council to sign up for the draw, more than 4,000 people came … and two years later a machine has never entered there, beyond the one they put for the photo of the tweet they used in the campaign,” he criticizes. “That is why construction annulment has just been approved at the Governing Board, after spent more money on advertising it than to buy a single brick.”
The project was destined to be an oxygen ball in front of the housing crisis that the region ravages. Renting a bedroom house would cost 450 euros per month, according to the municipal website. One of two, 549. That price would include garage square, storage room, IBI and neighborhood community share.
“This is a historic project in Torrejón de Ardoz because it is the first time that the City Council promotes a rental initiative for the Torrejoneros,” Vázquez while hundreds of neighbors were interested in achieving one of those houses.
The construction works of the 150 homes of the 1st phase of the Rental Housing Plan have begun.
A pioneer measure with which we face one of the main concerns of many neighbors, especially young people, such as access to housing.– Ignacio Vázquez Casavilla (@Ivazquez06)
The cataract of interested parties was not encouraged only by affordable prices. Many neighbors received publications in their mailboxes advertising the project. This, in turn, was profusely announced on the City Council website. Since then, nothing.
“The City Council has initiated the procedure of termination of the concession granted to this company, since having held numerous meetings since the beginning of the contractual relationship for the perfect fulfillment of this contract, a stoppage was observed in the execution of these homes in accordance with the provisions of it,” explains a spokesman for the City Council, which Alejandro Navarro now directs. “After a formal requirement on 01/30/2025, this was answered by the concessionary company on 02/14/2025 with a new planning of work. Observing a breach of the deadlines by the company, once again, has been proceeded at the beginning of the extinction of the concession, ”he continues, clarifying that Torrejón reserves the option of taking measures against the concessionaire.“ The City Council is already working so that in the month of September the construction works of these affordable rental homes for torrejoneros are shown ”.
The concessionaire, ad home Torrejón, had deposited a guarantee fund valued at 415,470.35 euros ,. In exchange for building the homes, the City Council allowed the exploitation of the plot, with a size of 4,476 m2, for 75 years.
“In response to the social function and marked public interest of the activity that undertakes to develop the concessionaire throughout the life of the concession, the expected returns attending to the market situation, (…) and especially taking into account that the objective pursued is the optimization in the final price that the users of the houses pay, the public domain land is provided to be granted without the obligation to pay any canon to the administration of the administration. concessionaire, ”he needed. The City Council would pay nothing.
Everything seemed to go on wheels. The houses had to be finished in a maximum of 24 months. After a first break, it was agreed to deliver the keys in December 2026. But on June 30 of this year, the municipal architect of Torrejón approached the plot. And what he saw did not like.
“It is found that the works remain completely paralyzed, without appreciating material advances regarding previous visits,” he wrote in a report whose content agreed this newspaper. “Only the initial work of emptying of land and the presence of a tower crane are maintained, without still starting the essential phases of foundation or structure,” he added.
The agreed plan to finish the works on time is, therefore, unfeasible, in the opinion of this professional. The dream of the public housing of affordable rental of Torrejón has just jumped through the air. At least, for now.
