Amazon founder Jeff Bezos shared a Spanish language essay by chef José Andrés, stating that the diagnosis and prescription are 100% correct, and not just for Spain.

Andrés wrote that Spain does not lack decrees, but housing. He criticized politicians for using decrees as solutions on television, yet lacking the preparation and knowledge to provide real solutions; the government treats the announcement of measures as problem-solving, subsidizing demand without increasing supply will drive up prices, and continuing to add regulations to a market that does not build new homes is managing scarcity rather than eliminating it. Taxing certain rentals can change incentives, but it won't produce a single additional brick. He asked: how much new housing has all this created? Housing will not become cheaper just by distributing scarcity more evenly.

His prescription is to build more: more land available for construction, permits issued monthly instead of annually, increasing density where possible, legal certainty, and a large amount of public housing alongside a large amount of private housing. He criticized the current approach as intervening in the already limited housing supply, pushing the costs of failure onto owners, developers, and citizens. Redistribution, protecting specific groups, and changing incentives can be done, but they cannot be considered solutions to the underlying shortage.

The timing coincides with the government's housing decrees. On September 29, the cabinet approved two emergency royal decrees, which Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez called the primary issue for Spaniards. One aims to protect the social function of housing, expand affordable supply, and mentions increasing public stock through the state-owned agency Casa 47, public funding, and reducing the VAT on social housing to 4%; the other strengthens the stability of primary residential leases, with Casa 47 contracts compared to a 75-year term. Reports indicate that Congress rejected approval on October 2: the one with a maximum two-year extension and a 2% rent increase cap received 172 votes in favor and 178 against; the automatic renewal of leases received 166 votes in favor and 184 against. Andrés's post did not reference these two votes.

Bezos did not supplement the national list nor provide construction figures. What he agrees with is the diagnosis and prescription, extending the scope beyond Spain. The television stations named by Andrés include RTVE News, Antena 3, Telecinco, and Cuatro.

This is not about starting construction. Buyers need permits, land, and the construction of new public and private homes; sellers are the administrative departments managing existing stock, limiting certain purchases and lease renewals. The event is driven by a post endorsed by Bezos, with no budget allocated. The beneficiaries are developers defining the shortage as insufficient supply and cities needing density; the pressure is on the political propaganda treating decrees, subsidizing demand, and rental restrictions as housing solutions. Not a single brick has been added.

Source: Public Information