The Local Government Board has approved a measure granting the municipal housing company, Emvisesa, the ability to exercise the right of first refusal and retraction in VPO sales. This decision means that when an official protection home is put up for sale, the administration will have the legal priority to acquire it.

This agreement is based on the new wording of article 28 of Decree 149/2006, of July 25, which approves the Regulation of Protected Housing in Andalusia. This modification was introduced by Law 5/2025, of December 16, on Housing in Andalusia, providing an updated legal framework for this municipal power.

The main novelty is the obligation imposed on VPO owners to communicate their intention to sell to Emvisesa, including the identification, characteristics, and location of the property, as well as the transaction price. Emvisesa will have a ten-day period from notification to inform the competent territorial delegation of its decision to exercise the right of first refusal.

This measure, part of the Municipal Housing Plan, seeks to increase the social rental housing stock and address housing emergency situations, complying with the constitutional and statutory mandate to ensure the right to decent and adequate housing. The new model, initiated in July 2020, involved requesting an agreement from the Junta de Andalucía for Emvisesa to exercise these rights over any protected housing in the municipality of Seville.

Previously, Emvisesa only exercised these rights in cases where there was an express agreement in the sales contracts in favor of the municipal company. However, in other transmissions, the rights fell to the Junta de Andalucía, which did not always exercise them. The signing of the agreement now allows Emvisesa to act on any protected housing in the city, regardless of its developer or original plan.