The Basque Government has launched the process to award 94 …

The Department of Housing and Urban Agenda of the Basque Government has launched the procedure to award 94 official protected housing rentals in the Peñota neighborhood of Ortuella. The order was signed on September 21 by Minister Denis Itxaso González, and it has been published today, September 29, in issue number 186 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country. The procedure’s file number is EB2-2971/23-LC-000, and the homes are under the general regime.

Origin and characteristics of the promotion

The background of the promotion is an agreement signed on September 12, 2002: the then Minister of Housing and Social Affairs and the Ortuella City Council reached an agreement to promote official protected housing in the Peñota neighborhood. Two decades later, the Territorial Housing Representation of Bizkaia granted provisional qualification on December 22, 2023, to the promotion of 94 homes, and VISESA (Vivienda y Suelo de Euskadi, S.A.) is the promoter.

The distribution of the homes is as follows:

4 homes adapted for people with permanently reduced mobility, with two bedrooms and 84.61 m².
23 one-bedroom homes, with areas between 41.10 m² and 44.55 m².
60 two-bedroom homes, with areas between 57.45 m² and 64.83 m².
7 three-bedroom homes, with areas between 84.50 m² and 88 m².

Quotas and priority order

Out of the 94 homes, 4 belong to the quota for people with reduced mobility. The remaining 90 are divided among four quotas:

36 homes (40% of the total) for cohabitation units whose holder is under 36 years of age.
19 homes (21.11%) for applicants who have been recognized as having a subjective right to occupy a decent and adequate home.
15 homes (16.67%) for people who prove a special housing need.
20 homes (22.22%) for general quota applicants.

Non-adapted homes that remain vacant in a specific quota will be transferred to the general quota. If a person fits into more than one quota, the following priority order will be applied: subjective right, under 36s, special need, and general. People with reduced mobility, however, will compete only within that specific quota.

Requirements for participation

Applicants must meet these conditions on the day the order is published:

Being registered as a housing applicant in Ortuella or any municipality of the Bilbao Functional Metropolitan Area, such as Barakaldo, Bilbao, Getxo, Portugalete, Santurtzi, and Sestao.
At least one of the holders must have been registered in the Basque Autonomous Community for three consecutive years.
Having accumulated income for the 2025 tax period between 9,000 and 46,463.29 euros; persons with reduced mobility, those with psychological disabilities, and victims of sexist violence against women do not need to prove minimum income.
Being part of a cohabitation unit of a maximum of 6 members.
No member of the unit may own a home, a right of superficies, or a usufruct.

Deadlines and submission methods

Applications may be submitted from September 30 to October 30, 2026, both inclusive, through three channels:

Telematically, on the etxebide.euskadi.eus website.
In person at the service office, Gran Vía 85, Bilbao; it is recommended to request an appointment in advance.
By ordinary mail, at the Territorial Housing Representation of Bizkaia, Gran Vía 85, 6th floor, Bilbao.

Scoring and appeals

The score will be calculated based on four criteria: income, members of the cohabitation unit, seniority in the housing applicants’ registry, and special housing needs. Seniority will grant one point per year, up to a maximum of 7, and special needs will grant 4 collective points each, up to a maximum of 8. Ties will be resolved in favor of the application with the greatest seniority.

The results will be published on the notice boards of the In-person service and on the electronic notice board of the Basque Government’s electronic headquarters. An appeal for reconsideration against the order may be filed before the Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda within one month, or a direct contentious-administrative appeal before the High Court of Justice of the Basque Autonomous Community within two months.

This procedure directly affects housing applicants in Bizkaia, especially those registered in the municipalities of the Bilbao metropolitan area: 94 new homes will be offered for rent, 4 of which will be adapted for persons with reduced mobility. Applicants have only one month to apply, from September 30 to October 30, and separate waiting lists will be created for each quota.

Fuente: BOPV, No. 186, September 29, 2026, Other Provisions (official reference: 2026/4038).