Rosario councilman proposes social rent regime using confiscated buildings

A new proposal presented to the Rosario Municipal Council aims to establish a social rent regime to assist families struggling to access the formal housing market. Spearheaded by Councilman Leonardo Caruana, the initiative seeks to utilize idle, abandoned, or confiscated properties to provide affordable housing options.

The project proposes a pilot program using a confiscated building located at Buenos Aires 1063, which contains 27 apartments. Under this plan, the Provincial Housing Directorate would manage the building under municipal regulation, offering formal rental contracts at accessible rates to vulnerable populations. Caruana emphasized that this is not a matter of informal occupation, but a regulated system with legal protections and defined obligations for all parties.

The initiative follows a significant rise in housing-related complaints. Data from the Municipal Consumer Office indicates that housing complaints increased by 42% year-on-year during the first half of 2026, with rental-specific conflicts rising by 45% compared to the previous year. The primary driver of these disputes is the economic difficulty of maintaining rental contracts.