In Axarquia, as in other areas of Malaga, a problem of slow solution is the regularization of urbanism. More specifically, of those houses built unknowingly on non-buildable land. Both the central government, the Junta de Andalucia and the different local corporations do not agree to regularize the situation and, what is worse, the owners are still waiting for this to be regularized.

This is a complicated problem says Mario Blancke, the Spokesman for SOHA.ES.
If anything characterises this area, it is that the mountains and valleys are peppered with houses which in principal fulfil all legal requirements, but which nevertheless carry an irregularity which could lead to the destruction of the home, and more seriously the lives of the home owners.

In Andalusia there are between three hundred thousand and three hundred and fifty thousand homes in this situation. But who is to blame; The politicians? The home owners? The Promotors? The lawyers?…or is it wise to look for the culprits? SOHA.ES’s Spokesman says that a check on any one of those responsible would have served as an example to the rest, but this is where the system failed. There has been no control, or restraint in this development frenzy. It was a time of high investment when many benefitted, when the problem of unemployment was reduced, but the unjust result is that the blame has been placed on the home owners.

The aim of Save Our Homes in Axarquia is firstly to defend the home owners interests. The association has spent more than 10 years fighting to regularize the homes and parcelisations of its members and friends. SOHA.ES works alongside Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora-No, the only associations which ask certain requirements from their associates, for example that they have sought a work licence, building licence, and escritura, while other associations have been increasing the existing problem of illegal building throughout Andalusia.

As for Andalusia, nothing has changed. The authorities, who are fully aware of this problem, carry on asking for fines to fill their coffers, promising the moon and stars, while they twiddle their fingers, and the home owners continue to be the most persecuted.

In SOHA.ES we must work together to achieve our aims. the association was created to defend home owners who bought in good faith, and to gain for them all the rights they require for full legality of their homes. It has fought for this since its conception.
It was slow work at first, but began to bear fruit in 2014.
However the declaration of AFO leads only to the recognition of the home, not its legalisation.
SOHA.ES will be continuing to work for the full legalisation on homes bought in good faith.
These home owners have followed all the right procedures in buying their homes, and should have full legal title to them.

Read the full article in Spanish here.