Notaries consider it "key" to have "accurate" housing data to articulate public policies.

On July 17 and 18, the course Housing 2025: From Diagnosis to Action. Proposed Solutions for a Pressing Problem, organized by the Notarial Foundation, is being held at the Miramar Palace in San Sebastián , headquarters of the University of the Basque Country's Summer Courses Foundation. Senior officials from national and regional public administrations, university professors, associations of developers and builders, citizen associations, lawyers, economists, digitalization experts, and notaries will debate the most effective measures to take in the face of a reality that seems increasingly entrenched. One of the main conclusions of the first day was the importance of having accurate and complete data on the housing sector, such as that extracted from notarial deeds, for the articulation of public policies and effective solutions to the problem.

"In just three years, housing has climbed from 31st to first place in the ranking," explained Alberto Martínez Lacambra , general director of the Centro Tecnológico del Notariado, who presented the report prepared by the notarial corporation on 'Housing in Spain 2007-2024', a study that takes as reference the data from public deeds, contained in the Single Computerized Notarial Index .

For Lacambra, it is urgent to stimulate supply and restore the level of social housing: "In the 1990s and early 2000s, 75,000 social housing units were built in Spain each year; currently, the figure barely reaches 12,000. We must decisively activate the development of social rental housing on public land. This requires a specific, stable regulatory framework adapted to this reality," according to Servimedia.

In his opinion, this lever can be crucial, especially for young people, who "have been practically excluded from the market: only one in ten buyers is under 30 years old today, compared to one in four in 2007. This situation is not only due to demographic change, but also to the difficulty of having sufficient savings to make the entry effective."

Regarding public housing policies , Llanos Castellanos, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, spoke out, emphasizing that "the housing problem has a vector that makes management much more complicated: changes in the construction sector require long periods of time to mature and return. We are firmly convinced that we will address all the problems we detect. It is very important for us to collaborate decisively with the private sector, achieve greater certainty in leasing, and use technology to apply the information obtained from the data. In the State Housing Plan, we include an investment of 7 billion euros to facilitate young people's access to housing."

The Director General of the Notary Public Foundation, Raimundo Fortuñy, emphasized the importance of addressing the housing issue at this forum once again this year, bringing together "all the affected and involved parties: citizen organizations and associations, academics, representatives of the business world, public administrations, and the Notary Public. Housing is an issue that is a part of our daily work. As notaries, we are in direct contact with citizens; we have invaluable statistical data extracted from the public instruments we authorize; and we are here to provide consensus-based solutions."

For her part, the First Deputy Mayor of San Sebastián City Council, Nekane Arzullus, stated that "Donostia has a serious housing problem. The city's tensions are spreading to the outskirts, and we are also experiencing a constantly aging population, which also affects access to housing. In the last ten years, housing prices in this city have increased by 52%. We need to find solutions, and our strategy must be sustainable and respectful: housing is much more than an economic factor; it is the opportunity to develop a personal and family project, a space for coexistence and protection, a basic need."

The academic director of the Summer Courses Foundation (UIK) at the University of the Basque Country (UPV), Idoia Otaegui , emphasized that "the housing problem in Spain is worsening over time, and without a clear shift in public policy, finding a solution is very difficult. Given this reality, and thanks to the support of the Notary Foundation, we are opening dialogues that can help find solutions to this problem by listening to all stakeholders involved in the matter. That is what we hope for from this course."