The Minister for Social Rights, Violant Cervera; the dean of the COAC, Assumpció Puig; the executive chairman of the Technical Architecture Council of Catalonia, Celestí Ventura, and the manager of the Barcelona-Lleida Association of Property Administrators, Lorenzo Viñas, have presented the new Building Rehabilitation Technical Offices (OTR).

These three independent offices will be managed by the three institutions thanks to the agreement signed weeks ago with the Ministry of Social Rights. The new spaces will guide and advise citizens in the management and development of the rehabilitation processes that are part of the programmes under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funded by the European Union through NextGenerationEU.

In her speech, Minister Cervera explained that these European funds “are an opportunity to energise a key sector of our economy” and that the aid, with a budget of 480 million euros, will benefit some 60,000 homes throughout Catalonia. Cervera called for “a commitment to renovating buildings and homes with a focus on energy efficiency and the fight against climate change”.

Along these lines, the dean of the COAC, Assumpció Puig, stressed that “the response to the new challenges that the pandemic has brought to light must involve rehabilitating, renovating and improving our buildings, neighbourhoods and cities with a comprehensive approach, putting people’s comfort and quality of life at the forefront. The COAC’s Building Rehabilitation Technical Office will inform both members of the COAC and the general public so that the maximum number of people can benefit from the European funds”.

For his part, the executive chairman of the Technical Architecture Council of Catalonia, Celestí Ventura, highlighted the fact that “the Building Rehabilitation Technical Offices are the professional associations’ contribution to taking advantage of a unique opportunity to improve the housing stock in Catalonia and generate new jobs”.

Finally, the manager of the Barcelona-Lleida Association of Property Administrators, Lorenzo Viñas, stated that the OTR “is the result of close collaboration with the Catalan Housing Agency, which highlights the joint work of the public administration and the private sector in a project of great interest to Catalonia’s citizens and environment”.

To promote and guide rehabilitation processes
The offices are up and running as of this April, and the professional associations will be on hand to offer information on subsidies and advice on their management as well as a network of professionals to carry out the rehabilitation processes.

Each office has its own website and a team behind it that will work in coordination with the public administration to manage the subsidies:

COAC Building Rehabilitation Technical Office
https://rehabilitacio.arquitectes.cat/

Technical Architecture Council of Catalonia Building Rehabilitation Technical Office
www.otr.cat

CAF Building Rehabilitation Technical Office
https://otrc.consellcaf.cat/

Activating the rehabilitation culture 
The three institutions, through the Building Rehabilitation Technical Offices, will be in charge of promoting the rehabilitation of the maximum number of buildings. To help in reaching this goal, an information campaign will be launched in June to activate the rehabilitation culture, which is not very deeply rooted in Catalonia, and to highlight the benefits of rehabilitation, which is key to urban renewal and the creation of healthier and more comfortable spaces.

Along the same lines, the campaign aims to highlight the figure of rehabilitation professionals and demonstrate that the construction sector is an essential tool in Catalonia’s recovery following the pandemic and in managing the economic and social challenges of the 21st century.