El 'decreto Maricarmen' no sirve al vulnerable

Maricarmen's decree fails to assist the vulnerable. Sumar is more concerned with the profit of a fund or developer than the plight of vulnerable individuals. It is always a mistake to pass legislation hastily, as passion is contrary to effectiveness. A friend recently lost tenants in Madrid, a young couple who paid rent on time and maintained the property.

He had to find new tenants, so he posted an ad on a real estate website late one Sunday night and received over 25 messages of interest the following day. Some messages were heartfelt, promising not to disappoint. There are countless people seeking homes and frequently checking real estate portals for new listings, while there are just as many who sign up for agency waiting lists to find suitable accommodations.

The competition for rental housing in high-demand areas resembles the pioneer struggles to conquer the Wild West. The only way to prevent this is through construction, but this government's populist agenda hinders the building of social homes. This is not a new issue, as it also affected Barcelona and Madrid under previous Socialist leaders.

The explanation lies in the communist's dislike for the profit of a fund or developer over the struggles of a vulnerable person. When a landlord has a tenant who pays rent punctually and cares for their home, it is difficult to evict them, especially if they are a young couple or elderly person with stable income and no history of being a deadbeat.

However, these individuals are often excluded from the rental market due to strict criteria such as net income, references, and no history of being a deadbeat. Despite these efforts, more than 90% of rental properties in Madrid are owned by small landlords, and demand far exceeds supply. Vulnerable individuals struggle to access the rental market due to these obstacles.

While it may seem counterintuitive, small landlords are more hesitant to rent to vulnerable individuals compared to large landlords because they risk everything on a single tenant. Specialized funds would have a better chance of renting to vulnerable individuals due to the dilution of risk in a large pool of available properties.

Therefore, opposing funds, as this government seeks to do with the Maricarmen decree, is misguided. To truly assist vulnerable individuals, the government should facilitate construction through all available means, support vulnerable families without burdening landlords with losses, and avoid implementing ineffective decrees that falsely portray the right against Maricarmen. Without such action, vulnerable individuals will continue to be excluded from accessing housing.