Sánchez opens the pre-election campaign with two housing decrees awaiting approval

Pedro Sánchez put housing at the center of his first public appearance after announcing general elections for November 29. On October 6, after the Council of Ministers meeting, the president defended the renewed approval of two housing-related decrees and asked the parliamentary groups to ratify them in the Permanent Deputation of Congress, which acts when Parliament is dissolved.

The initiative revives rules that Congress had rejected days earlier. Sánchez argued that the revised texts retain their essence, although they incorporate changes, and linked the parliamentary deadlock to the need for citizens to elect a new Parliament. His appearance marked the de facto start of the pre-election campaign, although the election campaign had not yet officially begun.

Two decrees with different measures and procedures

News coverage describes one decree aimed at protecting vulnerable people facing eviction and facilitating access to a first home. Among the announced measures is a line of interest-free loans of up to €50,000 per person to buy a first home. The Government presents it as assistance for people with stable incomes who lack the savings needed to make a mortgage down payment. According to published information, it also retains tax deductions and incentives for small landlords who rent at affordable prices.

The other decree includes an extension of rental contracts. Its implementation is subject to ratification: reports indicate that it would not enter into force before that vote. Therefore, the Council of Ministers’ approval of both texts does not mean that all their measures are in force. The legislative process and the outcome of the vote in the Permanent Deputation are decisive.

Sánchez put the package at 21 measures and announced more resources for social housing providers, as well as funds to promote industrialized construction. He also said that the public company Casa 47 would acquire properties from the Social Security system for use as housing. These amounts, objectives, and effects were presented by the Government; they do not in themselves constitute results that have already been achieved.

A parliamentary standoff turned into an electoral argument

The president presented the measures as a response to a problem he considers a priority and asked the groups for their support, arguing that housing transcends ideological differences. At the same time, he used the earlier parliamentary rejection to defend his decision to call elections: he said that if Parliament does not respond to a leading public concern, a new one should be elected.

Reports describe political disagreements over the content of the decrees and the chances of their passing. They also note that the Executive did not consider all the necessary support assured. Although some analyses pointed to a narrow majority in the Permanent Deputation, that calculation did not guarantee ratification.

The Government also argued that the decrees form part of a broader response and acknowledged that, on their own, they would not solve the housing problem. Sánchez called for more construction and urged the involvement of regional and local administrations. These statements reflect the Executive’s diagnosis and priorities, not an independent assessment of the measures’ future effectiveness.

What companies should bear in mind

For real estate companies, landlords, developers, and social housing providers, the renewed approval of the decrees signaled a possible regulatory change, but did not confirm the definitive implementation of all the measures. In particular, the provisions on rental duration depended on the pending vote. Announcements on financing, incentives, and public acquisitions should also be understood as measures described by the Government, subject to their legislative process and implementation.

The episode thus combined regulatory activity and electoral strategy: the Executive sought to keep housing on the agenda and put its proposals to a vote again. The parliamentary outcome, not just approval by the Council of Ministers, was key to determining which provisions could be implemented.