Andorra la Vella Overhauls Jovial Housing with Points System Favoring Young Locals

Andorra la Vella council has unveiled detailed changes to the Jovial social housing regulations in Terra Vella, shifting to a points-based allocation system that favors young minimum-wage earners living with parents and long-term parish residents. The council now manages all 80 flats outright, ending previous externalization arrangements after addressing issues like subletting and unpaid rent totaling €15,000 in serious cases.

The new rules, presented this Thursday and slated for approval at next week's council meeting, replace first-come, first-served and waiting-list seniority with points awarded in four categories: economic vulnerability, age, emancipation status, and years of residency. Applicants must prove at least five years in the parish, with maximum points for those reaching 20 years. Priority goes to those aged 18-22 still at home—though up to age 29 may apply—earning the minimum wage and seeking first-time independence. Ideal candidates, per Housing Councilor Marc Torrent, are 18-year-olds on minimum pay residing lifelong with family in the parish.

Rent will be set at 30% of applicants' income, within the range of one to two times the Llindar Econòmic de Cohesió Social (LECS), and reviewed annually to reflect changes, including cohabitation with partners during five-year leases. Torrent emphasized directing public resources "to those who need them most," not just longest-waiting applicants, unlike 2019 rules. Social Affairs Councilor Maria Nazzaro noted extra points for the youngest and those at home, aiming to restore Jovial's role as "the first home for the parish's youth," built on land donated by Maria Maestre.

The council took full control after dissolving the Jovial society by late 2024, citing its inefficiency. It recovered one sublet flat in March and tackled defaults. A new protocol handles non-payment: analysis after one month, social services after two, and eviction only as a last resort after three unjustified months, with options for vulnerable tenants to split payments or access aid.

Currently, contractual freezes block 50 flats, limiting turnover—only five new tenants recently—though deintervention laws may soon free them up, as many incumbents likely fail new criteria. The overhaul unifies parish housing policy.