In Andratx, where the demolition of the unfinished Monport apartments in the port area has raised questions as to why they cannot be used for affordable housing, the town hall has another option.
In the town itself is an unfinished development of thirty apartments that dates back to roughly the same time as the Monport apartments. The circumstances of the abandonment of the two projects were different. Monport was illegal and was halted by the Council of Mallorca in 2007. Work on the apartments in the town stopped when the developer went bust. The land had been acquired from the parish in 2005. The construction coincided with the onset of the financial crisis.
The building licence for the apartments expired several years ago. A new company has acquired the land and the buildings (there are three blocks) and has applied for permission to continue the work. This will be granted in accordance with legislation that allows developments with expired licences to be undertaken in order to create affordable homes.
The town hall and the new developer are set to sign a letter of intent to this effect, Mayor Estefanía Gonzalvo saying: "This is a project that directly addresses one of the main concerns of our residents, which is access to housing. Transforming a structure abandoned for two decades into affordable housing is turning a problem into an opportunity."
The finished apartments will be made available under the Balearic Government's limited price scheme, so the prices will be well under market rates. The mayor adds that priority will be given to residents of Andratx who have lived in the municipality for ten years or more.