The Generalitat tracks empty flats in Catalonia with artificial intelligence without sanctioning the owners

The Generalitat tracks empty flats in Catalonia with artificial intelligence without sanctioning the owners

The Generalitat will use artificial intelligence by cross-referencing consumption and census data to detect empty apartments. The Government rules out sanctioning owners and will opt for incentives to promote rentals.

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The Generalitat de Catalunya is preparing with the city councils an artificial intelligence system to identify empty flats in each municipality and wants to have a map of unoccupied homes ready from next year to mobilize that stock for rent.

The plan is born with a background paradox. The Government wants to locate empty homes more precisely, but it rules out sanctioning their owners and opts for a path of incentives and direct contact to try to bring those properties back to the market.

The tool cross-references consumption, census, and municipal data

The Centre Internacional de Mètodes Numèrics en Enginyeria de Lleida has been developing this system for two months on behalf of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

The tool will combine water and electricity consumption with the municipal census and the on-site information provided by the councils. With this data cross-referencing, the city councils will be able to detect unoccupied homes without relying on physical inspections by officials.

Jordi Mas, Director General of Housing, explained to 3Cat that the new regulatory framework allows the use of this data to know the state of homes without the need for on-site visits. This change seeks to accelerate the identification of empty flats in municipalities.

In the same area, other analyses on empty homes in Sant Joan have already put concrete figures on the depopulation in Catalan municipalities.

The Government prioritizes incentives over sanctions

The strategy of the Generalitat de Catalunya does not involve punishing depopulation.

Jordi Mas told 3Cat that the Government will focus on an incentive policy to mobilize that real estate stock. He also rejected a line of severe penalties such as expropriation.

"We will obtain better results than with an extreme penalty such as expropriation" - Jordi Mas, Director General of Housing, Generalitat de Catalunya

The Catalan Executive's forecast is to use the information obtained to contact owners and try to incorporate those homes into the rental market. The map planned for next year should serve as a basis for this action together with the city councils.

Mas set the goal of having that map of empty homes from next year.