Social housing is a brilliant system for an adequate housing to people and specially the Spain is characterized as a country with a high number of social houses in freehold terms. The Government of Spain is going to a set of public housing policies which are controlled in the State Housing Plan 2009-2012. On the other hand, the Autonomous Communities play an essential role in the Spanish system of social housing as they assume exclusive competences over housing matters. However, it does not imply that the State does not assume an important role concerning housing. This intervention and influence of the State on the Autonomous Communities’ competences is due to the fact that some of its exclusive competences directly affect housing. The said State Housing Plan was created to the new needs of the population is to wish buy a house. Now Spain is facing two major problems: affording a house due to the increase of the price and the economic crisis affecting the country.
The important point is the differentiation between subsidized houses of public and private promotion. In this regard, it should be pointed out that the subsidized houses may be promoted both by the public and the private sector. However, in Spain most of the subsidized houses are built by private promoters who receive the various financial aids as provided by the State Housing Plan and Autonomic Housing Plans, if applicable.