Cuenca province joins Castilla‑La Mancha rural housing scheme

Vice‑president José Luis Martínez Guijarro announced that 73 municipalities in Cuenca have signed up to the regional “Moviliza tu vivienda rural” programme. The initiative, launched by the Castilla‑La Mancha government, aims to bring roughly 700 vacant or underused rural homes into the rental market, offering a “turn‑key” solution that includes refurbishment, management and maintenance after the lease ends. In total, 172 municipalities across the region have joined, identifying about 700 dwellings for conversion.

Martínez Guijarro highlighted that Villalba de la Sierra has attracted nearly a hundred new residents since the five‑year anniversary of the anti‑depopulation law, underscoring the need for additional housing to support population growth. The programme will be coordinated by local councils, the regional government and Rural Development Groups, and will be promoted during the travelling “Living Rural Castilla‑La Mancha” festival, which visited Villalba de la Sierra alongside other towns.

The regional government also stressed that expanding the housing stock must be paired with maintaining quality public services, noting the recent opening of a new early‑childhood centre, a 24‑hour health centre and other amenities in Villalba de la Sierra.