On September 22, 2026, Andalusia’s Minister for Housing, Youth and Spatial Planning, Rocío Díaz, took part in the handover of keys to 14 protected rental homes in Almargen, Málaga. Monthly rents range from €183 to €250. The project had a total investment cost of €2 million and adds housing options in this rural municipality in the Guadalteba area, where an ageing population and population loss pose challenges to offering families and young people opportunities to build their lives locally.
The homes have two or three bedrooms and are split between two developments: eight under the general scheme and six under the special scheme. The Andalusian government contributed nearly €330,000 through its Protected Rental Housing Stock Promotion Programme: €177,483 for the first development and €155,200 for the second. The Spanish government, Málaga Provincial Council and Almargen Town Council also contributed to the financing.
Díaz attended the event with Almargen Mayor María del Carmen Romero. She said receiving the keys meant more than opening a door, describing it as having a home and stability, and congratulated the 14 families beginning a new stage.
Almargen has just over 1,800 residents and faces demographic challenges. The release said accessible housing, alongside services and economic opportunities, can help people who want to live in the municipality do so. Affordable rentals may provide young people and families with residential options in their own community. The project links access to housing with the wider challenge facing rural municipalities of retaining residents and supporting generational renewal.
Díaz said expanding the supply of affordable housing requires making land available, facilitating construction and working with local councils and the private sector. She thanked the organisations involved in the two developments and said resources, collaboration and the ability to turn resources into completed projects are needed to address housing challenges. She also called for projects to be completed and homes to reach the families waiting for them.