Several high-ranking officials at Alicante City Council have resigned, while others are under investigation over alleged irregularities in the allocation of social housing.
The Councillor for Urban Planning, Rocío Gómez, stepped down after being awarded a property in the first public housing development the city has seen in two decades. Meanwhile, the Director-General of Internal Organisation, Public Procurement and Fund Management, María Pérez-Hickman, has also resigned amid controversy.
The Valencian Regional Government has launched a separate investigation into a council employee accused of falsifying information about his wife – the municipal architect – to gain access to one of the properties in La Condomina.
Other beneficiaries include two of Pérez-Hickman’s children and the municipal architect for Urban Planning, Francisco Nieto. According to La Gaceta, the children received flats of 80 and 90 m², valued between €200,000 and €250,000. Nieto’s property measured 80 m² and was worth €200,000, while the councillor’s flat is 90 m² and slightly over €200,000.
In response, Mayor Luis Barcala has called an extraordinary council meeting to clarify the allocations and launched an internal investigation into the alleged irregularities.
Residencial Les Naus
The development at the centre of the controversy, Les Naus, comprises 140 three- and four-bedroom homes with private parking, storage rooms, commercial units, and communal facilities including a swimming pool, two padel courts, a basketball court, a children’s playground, and a private gym.
Its location has added to the uproar. Situated in La Condomina, the development is close to Playa de San Juan, one of Alicante’s most sought-after areas.
How were the properties allocated?
The management company, Fraorgi, says the project is a private social housing scheme under a cooperative model, built on publicly owned land awarded via tender for €6.6 million.
Fraorgi emphasises that, as a cooperative, anyone who registers as a member can access a property, provided they meet the criteria set by the company.
The scheme began in 2018 with the first applicants. The homes were not allocated until 2022, with construction completed last year, when residents moved in.