Grants and subsidies for communities of owners are intended for construction works that seek to rehabilitate old aspects of the community’s building: technology, the home’s conditions, worn out materials, among other things. These grants are implemented by the Government (the 2018-2021 State Housing Plan was the last time one of these grants was awarded) and each Autonomous Community has to organize the corresponding public notice so that communities of owners can request them.
In the current legislation, there are two main programs that offer grants to communities of owners:
Program to improve energy efficiency and sustainability of homes
The objective of the Government, through these grants, is to allow cities and buildings to facilitate self-consumption, in order to reduce pollution levels. Within this type of grants, there are many measures that can be subject of grants or subsidies:
Installation of renewable energy generating equipment (solar panels, aerothermal energy, etc.).
Substitution of electrical systems by more efficient ones (LEDs), as well as any system that uses natural light and controls the turning on and off of those lights.
Charging points for electric vehicles and bicycle parking spots.
Gardening projects (to improve soil permeability) and optimization of irrigation systems.
Works on roofs façades, related to thermal insulation, as well as the building air conditioning (hot and cold equipment, energy cost meters, among others).
Façades, green walls and home automation and / or sensor systems.
Program to improve the conservation, security and accessibility of buildings and homes
The aim of this program is to provide subsidies so that homes are better conserved and have optimal accessibility and therefore greater security.
Regarding conservation, grants can be used for the structure, foundation, the roofs and rooftop terraces and as well as the façade. In addition to the proper adaptation of homes in terms of habitability, hygiene and security.
Grants are also given for accessibility, for projects such as the installation of elevators or access ways for people with disabilities, light signaling for orientation, intercom installation and home automation for the elderly or disabled.
Will there be new grants and subsidies in the coming months?
Given the current exceptional situation caused by COVID-19, the expectation of new the next grants to communities is currently pending right now, awaiting for the resumption and normalization of the entire system.
Up until now, there was no open public notice of any grants for rehabilitations for Community Buildings of Residential Use in Barcelona and its metropolitan area. However, it should be noted that two grants were already planned to be awarded before this situation took place, which are explained below and are awaiting a new official date:
Grants for accessibility works, like installation or modification of elevators, elimination of architectural barriers, installation of lifting platforms or stair lifts. They were scheduled to be given by a private foundation in Barcelona and its metropolitan area and its main requirement was the residence in the community of a disabled person (legally recognized) or someone over 75 years’. The grant was to cover 50% of the budget, with a limit of € 20,000.
The Consorcio de la Vivienda de Barcelona (a public Institution formed by the Government of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Barcelona Townhall, which works in housing related matters) had also planned to award grants for works in façades, roofs, downspouts, courtyards, facilities (water, electricity and gas), elevators and removal of architectural barriers for Barcelona City.
The expert's note
Andreu Abelló, Forcadell’s Director of Community of Owners
"We have to reflect on the reason why, within our local, regional and even at State level, prevention measures are generally scarce. There are issues in communities of owners where conservation and prevention criteria are already routinely applied since it is about our homes, where we live and where we have usually made the largest and most lasting investment of our lives. It is our duty to take care of our homes, to keep them in good conditions, to be able to enjoy them since there are also the place where we probably feel the most secure.
The grants help in a remarkable way to ensure both the conservation of our properties and in their improvement. It is for this reason that they are very good tools to activate and carry out actions that otherwise we would not do.
These grants involve, on the one hand, a psychological factor of help, the economic -which satisfies the majority of people- and a control factor carried out by official institutions that promote them.It is also important to bring forward the fact that considering the current ecological awareness, it is a spark of hope that some elements of the buildings -as well as some facilities and interiors spaces of the properties- will be more sustainable, green and, in line with the environment, helping to make a more committed city with the future.
Improving our buildings and our properties, breaking down structural barriers, making them safer and sustainable for all those who live in them is the best way to take advantage of these grants."
If you have any questions about any of these matters, at FORCADELL we will advise you in a personalized way, attending to your specific needs.
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