Unlike the provincial capital, most major municipalities in the province of Córdoba registered a decrease in demand for Official Protection Housing (VPO) over the last three years. Globally, across eight analyzed locations, the decline between December 2022 and the same month in 2025 was 5.5%, while Córdoba city saw an 11.5% increase.
One potential reason for this reduction in municipal registries for protected housing is the scarcity of new developments. Accessing such housing requires meeting several criteria, such as not owning property and having a certain income level. The trend in applicant numbers has shown a generalized fall over this three-year period.
The most significant percentage drop occurred in Pozoblanco, though with nuances. It ended 2025 with only one VPO applicant, compared to four three years prior, representing a 75% decrease. This figure is considered anecdotal given the low initial number in a town of 16,931 inhabitants.
The analysis includes municipalities with over 15,000 inhabitants, excluding the capital. According to data from the Regional Ministry of Development and Mobility of the Junta de Andalucía, Baena leads in VPO registrations, despite having the seventh-largest population excluding Córdoba. With 18,386 inhabitants, it surpasses Lucena, the province's second most populous town. Baena currently has 124 applicants but experienced the largest absolute decrease in the last triennium, falling 37.1% from an initial 197.
Lucena, with 43,408 inhabitants, closed 2025 with 117 applicants, down from 163 in 2022, a 28.2% decrease over three years. In absolute terms, the number of registered applicants fell by 43, compared to 73 in Baena. Both municipalities had seen increases in 2023.
Significant reductions were also recorded in Palma del Río (31.3% fewer, with 46 applicants in 2025 compared to 67 in 2022) and Cabra (21.1% fewer, dropping from 76 to 60 registered applicants).
The downward trend was rounded out by Priego de Córdoba, which went from 22 applicants in 2022 to 12 by the end of 2025, a 45.5% drop.
The exceptions to this declining trend are Puente Genil and Montilla. In Puente Genil, registered applicants increased from 42 in 2022 to 68 in 2025, a 61.9% growth. In Montilla, the rise was even more significant, reaching 140%, with applicants growing from 35 to 84.
The Lucena City Council recently initiated a feasibility study for the construction of 37 apartments aimed at young people. Despite the situation, in March, eight municipalities, including Lucena, Puente Genil, Montilla, Palma del Río, and Cabra, had joined a shock plan by the Junta de Andalucía to increase the stock of VPO.
A notable figure shows that between 2023 and 2025, the Official College of Architects of Córdoba processed 769 housing permits (public and private development). Of these, only five were in the province, while the capital accounted for 764 (99.3%). This highlights the need for greater development in many localities.
The Provincial Council of Córdoba is also addressing this issue. Its president, Salvador Fuentes, acknowledged the complexity of the problem and announced an investment of five million euros in housing policies for towns. In the medium term, the goal is to propose an investment of 100 million euros by 2030, with collaboration from the Junta de Andalucía and the Spanish Government.
