There are over 7,000 old apartment blocks in Málaga without an elevator and in some cases this means that elderly pensioners, who have become less mobile, are rarely able to leave their homes, even just to go shopping.
The Housing Rehabilitation Programme of the Junta de Andalucia was designed, amongst other things, to alleviate such situations. During the period 2008 to 2012, the Junta de Andalucia processed 97 applications under this programme.
However, the application process is apparently very complex and many requests were not finalised and submitted. In addition, the whole programme has been affected by the financial crisis and it is not yet known whether such financial assistance of up to €65,000 per project/€14,000 per household will be renewed, shelved or completely abandoned.
Meanwhile, pensioners who become sick or disabled are finding it more and more difficult to get out of their homes.
Particularly in apartment blocks where the majority of residents are on a basic pension, they do not themselves have the financial resources to either fund or contribute towards an improvement to their situation.