On Thursday, the Institute for Galician Studies and Development (IDEGA) and the Economic and Social Council of Galicia (CES) hosted the 2nd International Conference: “The Housing Crisis: Public Policies to Tackle a Chronic Problem.” This initiative brought together the Xunta de Galicia, local governments, experts, and associations to formulate a range of responses to one of society’s major challenges.
The event took place at the Pazo de Amarante, the headquarters of the CES. IDEGA Director Rubén Lois and CES President Manuel Pérez delivered the welcome remarks. The discussion featured the participation of the Regional Minister for Housing and Infrastructure Planning, María Martínez Allende, who gave the opening lecture titled “The Galician Government’s Housing Agenda.” Also participating in the forum were María de los Ángeles Domínguez Franjo, Secretary General of the Galician Housing and Land Institute (IGVS), who explained the Galicia Housing Pact (2026–2030), and IDEGA geographer María José Piñeira Mantiñán, who presented an overview of the housing situation in Galicia. The roundtable discussion focusing on the role of local authorities was attended by the Mayor of Ferrol, José M. Rey Varela; the Head of Urban Planning for Arteixo, Pablo Martín Fernández; the Councilor for Urban Planning, Housing, and the Historic City of Santiago, Iago Lestegás; and the Councilor for Urban Planning and Housing of Vigo, María José Caride Estévez. “From the university—and specifically from a social science institute like IDEGA—we aim to reflect on elements related to economic and urban-territorial planning, as well as the social issues facing Galicia; that is our mission. Through our activities with the CES, we want to create a space for multidisciplinary dialogue to formulate an integrated approach to one of the issues that most affects our society. We must approach this through calm dialogue. This event can offer us lessons on how to tackle a long-standing issue like housing,” explained Rubén Lois.
For her part, the Regional Minister for Housing highlighted the value of holding this event at the Pazo de Amarante, “a meeting point for economic and social stakeholders and public authorities.” Martínez noted that “housing is the public’s primary concern; therefore, we need to listen more, compare diagnoses, and build shared, constructive solutions.” She further maintained that “this is a problem affecting not only Galicia but the entire country and beyond our borders,” and that “it is a challenge that does not depend on any single administration or sector in isolation; rather, it must be resolved through the cooperation and collaboration of all administrative bodies and, of course, the sector itself.”
The event featured a round-table discussion on the social and economic dimensions of the housing problem in Galicia. Moderated by Iago Martínez Durán—a researcher with the ANTE group—the panel included Margarita Vázquez Veras, representing the organizing group of the ‘Otra Forma de Vivienda’ cooperative; Valerio González Somoza, a member of the Planificación TEC team; Ana Pardo, the Galicia representative for Provivienda; and Vicente Martínez, vice-president of the Galician Real Estate Association (AGALIN). The 2nd International Conference organized by IDEGA in collaboration with CES is part of the activities carried out within the framework of the research project ‘(Re)thinking Cities and Urban Form: New Policies to Revitalize Everyday Cities in Line with the Urban Agenda (RENEWPOLI)’—a scientific research initiative funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
