When Isabel Diaz Ayuso Having taken over command of the Community of Madrid after the May 2023 elections, he has set a priority objective for this legislature: making housing the central axis of his political action.
In a context of shortage of supply, rising prices and difficulty of access, the Regional Executive proposed to act both on the construction of social housing and on the use of existing building stock.
This is why it approved a pioneering rule in Spain a year ago allowing the conversion of offices into affordable rental housing.
During its first year of application, this measure generated requests for 8,400 new housing units, including permits already processed and projects in development.
The key lies in a regulatory change that allows offices to be transformed into housing without the need to modify municipal planning.
When announcing the project, industry sources highlighted its opportunity at a time when teleworking was increasing and the cost of renting offices in city centers was becoming less and less profitable.
The Ministry of Housing argued that this formula allows offers to be obtained more quickly than traditional construction, by recovering underused spaces and avoiding lengthy administrative processes.
The opposition, for its part, warned of the impact that this could have on certain neighborhoods and of the need to guarantee adequate living conditions.
According to data provided by the Regional Executive, which Ayuso will present this Wednesday in its 2025 report, during the first year of entry into force of this law, licenses were requested for 3,679 housing units, to which are added projects for 4,721 others.
This brings the total potential to around 8,400 new homes which could benefit more than 20,000 Madrid residents, according to data from the Regional Executive.
This figure represents an important boost for the Madrid market which, according to experts, could have more than 20,000 offices throughout the region ready to be transformed into housing, including 8,000 in the Madrid capital.
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Concerning Plan Vive, another of the regional projects aimed at increasing the housing stock, the Community has delivered 5,175 affordable rental apartments, or around a third of the 14,000 planned.
The regional government says Madrid is leading the construction of sheltered housing in Spain and has announced a new Housing Shock Plan for the years 2026 and 2027, with 15 additional measures, after having executed more than 90% of the proposals launched in 2024 in just over a year.
Of course, as Vox remembers in every control session, Ayuso has committed to building 25,000 homes during this legislaturea figure that does not appear to be achievable based on the data provided so far.
In addition to the promotion of housing, other steps that Ayuso will claim today are the reopening of line 7B of the metro in San Fernando de Henares, after an investment of more than 171 million euros, and the advancement of major infrastructures such as the City of Justice and the City of Health.
Likewise, in terms of mobility, the Regional Executive has expanded the peri-urban network for the first time in 10 years. For several months, the connection of line 3 with MetroSur has been operational at El Casar station (Getafe).
Very important improvements have also been made for users, such as the automation of line 6, which will completely reopen on December 20, and the future expansion of line 11 between Plaza Elíptica and Conde de Casal.
The Regional Executive claims to have executed or have in progress 97.17% of the measures of its government program, with 248 initiatives already carried out and 198 others in development, in areas ranging from mobility and health to the digitalization of Administration and tax policy.
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