The Valencian Housing and Land Authority (EVHA), part of the regional government, has awarded a €4.7 million contract to install, maintain and replace 300 individual alarm and security systems in its public housing stock to deter illegal occupation. EVHA Director General, Estefanía Martínez, said break-ins and squatting are among the most serious problems affecting these homes. The scheme will cover 150 properties in Alicante and a further 150 in Valencia and Castellón.
EVHA’s Director General, Estefanía Martínez, said in a statement that such occupations “prevent the refurbishment and allocation of homes to families who respect the law”.
In 2025, the First Vice-Presidency and the Ministry of Housing, Employment, Youth and Equality stepped up measures to prevent the illegal occupation of public housing. Among these initiatives was the tendering of security systems and the installation of individual alarms that do not require connection to mains.
Martínez acknowledged that one of the most significant problems affecting the Generalitat’s public housing stock is the illegal occupation and seizure of homes, adding that this practice prevents their refurbishment and subsequent allocation to law-abiding families in need.
She also warned that such illegal activities often lead to problems between neighbours and undermine the safety of other residents in public housing blocks. Beyond the breakdown in community relations, she added, there are illegal connections to utility supplies, which interfere with infrastructure and pose a serious risk to the lives of all residents.
The installed alarm systems are linked to a central monitoring centre and provide immediate notification to the police, which she said represents a significant reinforcement in preventing illegal occupation. Once a property has been refurbished and allocated, the system is transferred to another home undergoing renovation.
The contract, awarded for €4,743,200 over four years, is divided into two lots: one covering the province of Alicante with 150 alarms, and another for the provinces of Valencia and Castellón with a further 150. Six companies submitted bids for the tender.
The alarm systems installed are connected to a central monitoring station and provide immediate notification to the police, "which represents a substantial boost in preventing these occupations," he noted. Furthermore, once the property is repaired and assigned, the system is transferred to another property undergoing renovation.
The measures introduced by the Generalitat to prevent the illegal occupation of its housing include increased investment in preventive mechanisms such as the installation of alarm systems, the fitting of vandal-resistant doors, and the hiring of private security services in certain public housing blocks.
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