The Government of Catalonia has agreed with the Comuns to appoint Fuensanta Alcalá as the new Director General of Housing Discipline. This position, agreed upon by both parties, will be responsible for overseeing fines imposed on property owners for non-compliance with the housing law.
Alcalá's appointment was pending since President Salvador Illa and the Comuns leader, Jéssica Albiach, secured the support of their six deputies for the budget. The party's spokesperson, David Cid, confirmed in a press conference that the new general directorate will be approved on July 28. The minister and government spokesperson, Sílvia Paneque, highlighted Alcalá as a "figure of broad consensus".
Fuensanta Alcalá previously held a similar position in the Barcelona City Council under Ada Colau's administration, where she directed the Housing Discipline Department of the Urban Planning Area since 2015. During her tenure, she was responsible for implementing and consolidating the Comuns' housing inspection model in the Catalan capital.
With this new appointment, Alcalá will bring her expertise to the Generalitat to enforce housing regulations. The Catalan administration already imposes sanctions on property owners who offer rentals above the legal maximum price, as well as on platforms that publish listings without the required information under the Spanish government's housing law.
David Cid praised Alcalá's professional background, emphasizing the need to ensure compliance with housing law and send a clear message to those who consider the regulations "a dead letter in Catalonia." Alcalá has also previously held various positions in the Department of Territorial Policy and Public Works and the Catalan Housing Agency, where she served as Director of Public Housing Management, in addition to holding management roles in entities such as REGESA and the Municipal Housing Institute of Barcelona (IMHAB).
