Madrid’s 10-Year Residency Rule for Public Housing Sparks Discrimination Claims

Housing rights groups are accusing the Madrid regional government of creating a discriminatory policy by requiring people to prove they have lived in the region for at least ten years before they can buy public housing. The groups say this rule effectively acts as a "national priority" system that harms migrants. The new regulation, approved by the government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, demands a minimum of ten years of official residency registration, known as empadronamiento. Critics argue this is an indirect form of discrimination. They point out that migrants often struggle to maintain long-term residency records due to instability and "housing racism" in the private rental market. This is not just a Madrid issue. The Canary Islands recently increased its own requirement from seven to twelve years. Social organizations there have already taken the government to court over what they call a discriminatory policy. The Observatory DESC, a group fighting for social rights, is leading the charge. "This cheap, ultra propaganda cannot come for free for the government," a spokesperson told elDiario.es. The group says it will challenge any similar measures in other regions, including Valencia. Legal experts note that the European Court of Justice ruled in May that requiring ten years of residency for social benefits is a form of indirect discrimination that primarily affects non-nationals. While some residency requirements are allowed—Catalonia, for example, sets a maximum of three years—the groups argue that Madrid’s ten-year rule is unreasonable and exclusionary. The controversy comes as the PP party, led by Ayuso, joined forces with the far-right Vox party to approve a non-binding proposal in the Madrid assembly that explicitly calls for "national priority" in access to public housing and other social benefits. Vox celebrated the move as a "turn" by the PP, with one deputy stating, "Requiring ten years of residency prioritizes the national over the immigrant; it is legal and moral." The Madrid government has not responded to requests for comment on the new housing rules. Meanwhile, the region is also facing criticism for allowing nearly 10,000 public housing units to revert to the private market since 2019.