Andorra unveils rental support programme for residents spending more than 30% of their income on rent
Marsol announces that support will extend beyond tenants affected by the end of mandatory lease extensions
Andorra’s government will open its rental support programme to all leases for primary and permanent residences that meet the eligibility requirements, rather than restricting it to contracts affected by the removal of mandatory lease extensions. Minister Conxita Marsol announced the broader scope at the press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting.
The decision expands the original proposal, which linked the payments to leases affected by the gradual easing of intervention in the rental market.
“Ultimately, this programme will be open to all contracts in the country that meet the relevant criteria and conditions,” Marsol explained.
Support to reduce the share of income spent on rent
Marsol said the programme could benefit people spending more than 30% or 36% of their income on rent. However, in this part of her remarks, she did not specify the circumstances in which each threshold would apply.
Applicants will need to demonstrate income of at least 1.2 times the minimum wage and no more than 3.5 times the minimum wage.
They must also have no other home available to them in Andorra and hold total assets no greater than ten times the minimum wage. All requirements set out in the regulations must be met simultaneously.
According to information obtained by La Veu Lliure, the minister described the initiative as “pioneering” and said its aim was to make housing affordable for residents. She stressed that access would depend on meeting the programme’s requirements.
Support extended to private rental contracts
The main change is that eligibility will no longer depend on a lease losing its mandatory extension. Other rental contracts for primary and permanent residences will also qualify, provided they meet the stipulated conditions.
Marsol presented the approach as a way of extending the benefits of public housing to tenants in the private rental market.
“It is, in effect, an expansion of public housing through the extension of its benefits to private rental contracts,” she said.
The minister described the programme as “very generous”, with the intention of reaching a broad section of tenants whose rent represents a substantial share of their income.