Bizigune Programme (Basque Country, 2013-present)

• The Bizigune Programme was launched by the Basque government in Spain in 2013 to detect empty homes and help their landlords rent them through a social housing programme.

  • It relies on landlords reaching out to the regional government to say they have an empty home.

• https://www.alokabide.euskadi.eus/bizigune/es/

• Definition of "empty home" in this programme:

  • The home is not part of the social or otherwise regulated housing stock.

  • It's empty, meaning it hasn't been lived in for the last three months.

  • It's not rented nor has it any limitations that prevent it from being rented.

  • Source: https://www.alokabide.euskadi.eus/propietario/opciones-alquiler/#!#tab_item3487

• Summary from their site through Google Translate:

  • Bizigune aims to attract unoccupied apartments for their entry into the market through protected rental.

  • Its purpose is to give uninhabited housing a social use, facilitating access to decent housing at affordable prices. It is intended for people whose economic resources are not sufficient to access the free market.

  • The owner of an empty house makes it available to ALOKABIDE (Public Company of the Basque Government, https://www.alokabide.euskadi.eus) through a usufruct contract in exchange for a series of established guarantees. In turn, ALOKABIDE will award this home to an applicant registered with the Basque Housing Service ETXEBIDE (https://www.etxebide.euskadi.eus) who will pay ALOKABIDE a rent proportional to their income.

• Keywords: Basque Country, Euskadi, Spain, unused, vacant, dwelling