IGVS opens applications for protected housing in Ourense

The Galician Institute of Housing and Land (IGVS) has published in the Official Gazette of Galicia (DOG no. 173, of September 11, 2026, p. 48540) a resolution, dated September 1, 2026, which regulates the procedure by which owners of plots included in the project of autonomous interest (PIA) Escorial-O Vinteún, in Ourense, may express their will to participate in the development of land primarily destined for the construction of housing subject to some form of public protection regime. The resolution, signed by the president of the IGVS, María Martínez Allegue, enables a voluntary participation route within an area whose management will be carried out, in general, through the procedure of compulsory expropriation.

Regulatory Framework

The initiative is framed within article 67.bis of Law 5/2024, of December 27, on fiscal and administrative measures, which allows owners to participate in the development of the area through the promotion and construction of housing on the resulting plots of which they are awardees. Participation shall be proportional to the contributed area of the original plots and shall be articulated through the signing of a participation agreement with each interested party.

The area, whose delimitation was approved by the resolution of the president of the IGVS on May 15, 2025 (published in the DOG on May 23, 2025), covers a total area of 133,718 m², with a buildable area of 135,957 m² and estimated execution costs of €15,351,485.

Who can participate and how

Owners of plots included totally or partially in the area who meet these requirements may participate:

That the plots were acquired before May 23, 2025 (subsequent mortis causa acquisitions are excepted), with ownership accredited in a public document.
That they have the minimum area required in Annex I of the resolution, allowing for the grouping of several plots, even if they belong to different owners.
That they have no construction that could be qualified as housing and that they are free of charges, encumbrances, and real rights that hinder the development of the PIA.

Persons who, prior to May 23, 2025, formalized an urban planning agreement with the Ourense City Council for the execution of the planning, with a reservation of their participation in the urban management, may also participate.

Guarantees and Deadlines

To ensure the maintenance of the proposals until the formalization of the agreement, a provisional guarantee of €1.5 per m² of contributed original plot area is required, formalized in the General Deposit Fund of the General Treasury of the Xunta de Galicia. Before signing the agreement, a definitive guarantee of 10% of the charges for planning and urbanization, which amount to €124.2077/m² of the original plot, must be established.

Proposals shall be submitted to the General Registry of the IGVS (polígono das Fontiñas, Área Central, s/n, Santiago de Compostela) or at the locations provided for in Law 39/2015.
The submission period runs from September 21 to December 21, 2026, both inclusive.
The resolution of acceptance or rejection shall be issued within a maximum of three months; the agreement must be formalized within two months from the notification.
The homes must be constructed within a maximum period of three years from obtaining the municipal urban planning license.

Impact

The resolution opens a real opportunity for landowners in the Escorial-O Vinteún area to participate directly in urban management and the promotion of protected housing, instead of being subject to compulsory expropriation. For the Ourense real estate market, it represents a step forward in the mobilization of public and private land destined for protected housing, within a context of increasing demand for affordable housing.

Source: Official Gazette of Galicia, no. 173, September 11, 2026, section III (Other provisions), p. 48540 (official reference: CVE-DOG sd6e8um3-upt5-dh36-ela4-dbsi18aahu52).