The Balearic Government has challenged the Spanish Housing Minister’s position on who should have priority for the 532 homes planned at Ca n’Escandell in Ibiza, saying regional law already requires applicants for protected public housing to have at least five years of residence in the Balearic Islands.

Vice President and Government spokesman Antoni Costa made the statement on Friday, September 18, one day after Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez visited the Ca n’Escandell development and said that residents of Ibiza would not receive a specific local-priority advantage when the homes managed by Casa 47 are allocated.

Costa said the regional housing legislation applies to protected housing regardless of which public entity constructs or manages the homes.

The dispute began during the minister’s visit

Rodríguez visited the Ca n’Escandell site on Thursday as work on the urbanisation of the area continues.

During the visit, Ibiza Town Mayor Rafael Triguero asked that some of the planned homes be prioritised for people already resident in the municipality.

Rodríguez rejected the idea of introducing a specific local-residence filter for the Casa 47 homes.

She argued that the Spanish Government governs for all Spaniards and said the homes could also help attract essential workers to Ibiza, including professionals needed in healthcare, education and other services.

Her position was that people who eventually live in the homes would become residents of Ibiza.

The Balearic Government points to Article 70.8

Costa responded by referring to Article 70.8 of the Balearic Islands Housing Law.

According to the provision cited by the Government, applicants for protected housing must demonstrate residence in the Balearic Islands for a minimum of five years immediately before the start of the allocation procedure in the case of publicly owned developments.

The provision also establishes a preference, in publicly owned developments, for applicants who can demonstrate that period of residence in the municipality where the housing is located.

The Balearic Government therefore argues that the regional legislation already provides a resident-based framework that applies to protected public housing.

The Government says the rule also applies to Casa 47

The Conselleria de Vivienda has gone further than Costa's political statement.

It told La Voz de Ibiza that the regional rule applies regardless of which public body constructs or manages the homes, specifically mentioning both IBAVI and Casa 47.

That is significant because Casa 47 is a state entity rather than a Balearic Government housing body.

The regional Government's position is therefore that the legal requirements for protected housing cannot simply be set aside because Casa 47 is responsible for the development.

Five years is not the same as the proposed 10-year preference

A separate development has also emerged from the island's local authorities.

The Consell d’Alcaldes, made up of the Consell de Ibiza and the island's five mayors, unanimously agreed to ask the Spanish Government and Casa 47 to give preference in the Ca n’Escandell allocation process to people who can demonstrate at least 10 years of residence in Ibiza.

That 10-year threshold is an institutional request. It should not be confused with the five-year residence requirement cited by the Balearic Government under Article 70.8.

The 532 homes are part of a larger development

Ca n’Escandell is planned to contain 532 public and protected homes alongside new public spaces, a park and other facilities.

Two of the main housing blocks, containing 165 and 197 homes, are being developed through Casa 47.

The project is intended to provide affordable rental housing rather than open-market homes.

Why the allocation rules matter

The disagreement is about the criteria that will eventually determine who can apply and who receives priority.

Rodríguez's position emphasises access to public housing for people who need to live and work in Ibiza, including workers who may currently live elsewhere.

The Balearic Government argues that the regional housing law already requires a minimum period of residence for protected housing and provides a municipal preference within publicly owned developments.

The Consell and the island's municipalities are seeking an even stronger preference based on 10 years of residence.

The issue is not yet an allocation result

No individual beneficiaries have been selected for the Ca n’Escandell homes.

The current dispute concerns the legal and administrative criteria that will govern the eventual allocation process.

Consequently, it would be inaccurate to state that all 532 homes have already been formally reserved for Ibiza residents, or that the final allocation rules have been definitively settled.

What has been established is that the Balearic Government says the five-year residence requirement in regional housing legislation applies, while the Spanish Housing Minister has publicly rejected a specific local-priority criterion for the Casa 47 homes.

A growing institutional dispute over housing

The disagreement has now involved the Spanish Housing Ministry, the Balearic Government, the Consell de Ibiza and the island's five municipalities.

The Consell d’Alcaldes has unanimously requested a 10-year residence preference, while the Balearic Government is pointing to the existing five-year rule and the municipal preference contained in Article 70.8.

The Spanish Government's position, meanwhile, focuses on making the homes available to people who will live and work in Ibiza rather than establishing a separate local-residence preference.

The eventual allocation framework will determine how these positions are applied in practice.

What is confirmed

The 532 homes at Ca n’Escandell are planned as public/protected affordable housing.

The Balearic Government says Article 70.8 of the regional Housing Law requires at least five years of prior residence in the Balearic Islands for access to protected public housing and provides a preference for applicants meeting that requirement in the municipality where a publicly owned development is located.

The Consell d’Alcaldes has separately requested a 10-year residence preference for the Ca n’Escandell homes.

Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez has rejected establishing a specific local-residence priority for the Casa 47 homes and has argued that they should also help accommodate essential workers coming to the island.

The allocation process has not yet produced a final list of beneficiaries.