The Rivas-Vaciamadrid City Council, through the Municipal Housing Company, keeps the application pool open for its solidarity flat. Selected individuals reside for five years paying only shared expenses and perform 10 hours of weekly volunteering.
The Rivas-Vaciamadrid City Council, through the Municipal Housing Company (EMV), continues its solidarity flat programme, an initiative that has been running for over a decade, allowing young people to reside in municipal housing in exchange for performing social and community volunteering. The application pool remains open for those who meet the requirements.
Selected individuals reside in the flat for five years, after which new candidates are chosen. During that period, they only pay shared expenses, not rent. The market price of the housing, according to the protected housing module in Rivas, would be around 1,000 euros per month.
The commitment required is 10 hours of weekly volunteering in ongoing municipal programmes, aimed at reinforcing the work of institutional teams. Participants receive professional support, access to coordination spaces, training, and follow-up.
Among the requirements, it is necessary to be between 18 and 30 years old and to be studying or have studied disciplines such as Psychology, Social Work, Teaching, Social Education, Occupational Therapy, Sociology, Pedagogy, or Psychopedagogy, or higher vocational training cycles in Social Integration, Socio-Cultural and Tourist Animation, or Early Childhood Education.
The last three residents of the flat, Iara, Ruth, and Isabel, moved in a year ago, in September, when the previous call ended. Isabel, 25 years old and a Social Work student, explains how they organise: "We have a contract for 40 hours a month that we distribute as we wish. There are four fixed hours for the programmes Living the Neighbourhood and Weaving Networks, focusing on unwanted loneliness," she details.
The Living the Neighbourhood programme takes place on the last Saturday of each month in the Rafael Canogar park, next to the cemetery, in Rivas Este. There, the volunteers prepare activities with the team from the Social Services Department and collaborate on the day of the event. "We load and unload the materials and take care of fixed activities like face painting, henna, or making badges," Isabel specifies.
On the other hand, Weaving Networks focuses on providing companionship to combat unwanted loneliness. "There is a team of five female volunteers and another five who receive support for walks, having coffee, or helping people get to know each other," she adds.
Isabel values the opportunity: "This is like a nugget of gold, and it makes you want to stay here forever. The flat is very nice, furnished to our taste, with plants... We have made it a home." She also reflects on the future: "In five years, I will have to go back to living with my father."
The programme includes strengthening and expanding places. Young people interested can register in the application pool through the municipal website.
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