El Gobierno adjudica a Cobus Homes la construcción de 212 VPO en Cantabria
The Government of Cantabria has awarded the construction of 212 affordable rental housing units to Cobus Homes S.L. in six municipalities in the region: Torrelavega, Reinosa, Laredo, Santa Cruz de Bezana, Polanco, and Santoña.
As announced by the government at the end of last year, the project will be carried out through a public-private partnership, with an investment of nearly 35 million euros, funded by European funds.
In a new development, the Government of Cantabria will ultimately allocate a total of 3,855,740 euros of its own funds to this project, half of what was initially planned.
Including administrative procedures and project drafting, the construction period will be 18 months, with the actual construction process taking 10 months.
The contractor will be responsible for drafting the projects, obtaining licenses, and building the housing units. For a period of 75 years, the company will have the surface rights and will be obligated to maintain the properties in optimal condition and return them to the government at the end of this period.
This batch is part of the first plan announced by the Cantabrian president, María José Sáenz de Buruaga, for the construction of 285 affordable rental housing units. Of these, 42 will be built in Torrelavega in the Valle area, in Sierrapando; 39 in Reinosa, on the site of the former Clinic on Avenida Castilla; 37 in Laredo, in sector VI of the PGOU; 36 in Santa Cruz de Bezana, on Avenida de la Libertad in Mompía; 30 in Polanco, in Barrio Mijares de Rumoroso; and 28 in Santoña, on Calle Celestino del Piélago.
The Minister of Development, Roberto Media, explained that with this formula, the government continues to control the rental price and the access of tenants to these housing units, which will be carried out under the same conditions as other public developments.
As explained, the government will ultimately invest 3.8 million euros, half of what was originally planned—7.7 million euros. This nearly four million euro saving can be allocated to other developments to further expand Cantabria’s public housing stock.
The final contribution from the regional government will be made over the next 10 years after the completion of the work, at a rate of 385,574 euros per year, a very affordable amount that will be included annually in the budgets.
Lastly, the minister highlighted the 9.73 million euros in European funds that will help finance this project, funds that, he reiterated, were to be repaid by the previous government.
Additionally, the maximum rental price allowed by the tender also decreases. Instead of 8 euros per square meter, it will be reduced to 7.40 euros, resulting in a 7.5% saving.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
According to the government’s announcement on Friday after the meeting of the Gesvican contracting board to award the package of 212 housing units, the proposal presented by the contractor includes significant measures aimed at reducing and optimizing the energy efficiency of the properties.
Specifically, the project proposes a reduction in non-renewable primary energy consumption of over 30%, a percentage higher than the 20% required by current regulations in the sector.
The characteristics of the building envelope are also defined, proposing the use of suitable materials, solar protections for facades, and an optimal constructive solution for the roof, with elements that contribute to solar protection for the housing units.
Moreover, the 212 housing units are designed with cross ventilation and the use of natural lighting with control systems, managed according to the time of year. Lastly, the proposal includes four electric charging stations for each housing development.
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