Vélez-Málaga Unanimously Approves Construction of 198 New Homes in Town Centre

Vélez-Málaga town hall has unanimously approved plans for the construction of 198 new homes in the town centre, following a vote during the January full council meeting held on Friday 30 January. The decision unlocks the long-delayed UE VM-13 Carretera de Arenas development, located near the La Gloria district, reactivating a project that has been pending for more than twenty years.

Of the total number of homes approved, 62 will be designated as subsidised housing under the Andalusian regional government’s recent housing law. According to mayor Jesús Lupiáñez, this measure aims to improve access to housing while revitalising a strategically important area of the municipality.

Housing policy featured prominently during the meeting, with councillors also addressing plans for the development of 188 rental homes with an option to buy. The councillor for urban planning, Celestino Rivas, described this mixed model as a successful approach already implemented in other municipalities, offering a practical alternative for residents facing difficulties entering the housing market.

Rivas further announced that the Spanish Confederation of Housing Cooperatives (CONCOVI) will hold an information session in Vélez-Málaga for applicants registered in the municipal housing registry, providing details on the rental-to-purchase scheme. “These are not hypothetical projects, but initiatives with real demand,” he stated.

The council meeting concluded with the unanimous approval of an urgent motion calling on the central government to reinforce resources to combat drug trafficking, following recent sightings of narco boats near Caleta de Vélez harbour. The motion also requested that the eastern Costa del Sol be declared an area of special attention for maritime security.

Source: Sur In English, February 2026