Government appoints Leire Iglesias as new Secretary of State for Housing

The Spanish government has appointed Leire Iglesias as the new secretary of state for Housing and Urban Affairs, while Maribel Ramos will take over as president of Casa 47. These appointments were confirmed during this Tuesday’s Council of Ministers meeting. Iglesias, who previously served as president of Casa 47, replaces David Lucas, who died on July 20 at the age of 58. Lucas had held the position of secretary of state since 2023. The changes reflect the government's commitment to continuity within the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs at a critical time for implementing housing policy. Iglesias has been leading one of the most significant transformations undertaken by the government in recent years: the conversion of the former Sepes into Casa 47, the new public company focused on housing. She joined Sepes in December 2023 as director general of the public land entity. Two years later, in December 2025, the government completed its transformation into Casa 47 and named her president. The entity shifted focus from primarily urbanizing and delivering land to other administrations to becoming the state instrument responsible for promoting, acquiring, and managing affordable public housing. Born in Hondarribia in 1978, Iglesias brings extensive experience directly related to housing. From 2019 to 2023, she served as counselor for Mobility, Transport, and Housing in the Extremaduran regional government, where she managed national and regional housing programs. Previously, she was counselor for Culture and Equality, a member of Congress, director general of the Institute of Youth (Injuve), and a councilor in the city council of Cáceres. She also served as the spokesperson for the PSOE on housing matters for several years. Ramos, the new president of Casa 47, currently oversees one of the departments that have gained the most weight with the company's transformation: the Directorate General of Affordable Housing. She will manage an entity tasked with becoming the main executive arm of the state to increase its residential stock. Casa 47 is responsible for managing the entire cycle of public housing, from land and promotion to the incorporation of finished homes and their subsequent rental. Ramos holds a degree in psychology from the University of Salamanca and specializes in public policies, social intervention, and housing. Before joining the state company, she developed much of her career at Hogar Sí, an organization specializing in combating homelessness, where she served as deputy director general of Innovation and previously led the Strategic Development area. She also worked as a senior management technician at the Women's Institute of Extremadura. Iglesias has been instrumental in launching Casa 47, which aims to manage the complete cycle of housing, from planning and urbanization of land to the delivery of keys, including promotion, construction, or provision of residential properties. The ultimate goal is to ensure housing becomes a public service guaranteeing access rights. In Casa 47, Iglesias and her team have incorporated properties from Sareb and other ministries to increase the public stock of affordable housing, particularly for rent. Spain still lags behind the European average, with public housing representing just 1.72 percent of the total in the case of rentals. One of Iglesias's major projects at Casa 47 has been the Campamento operation, a neighborhood located on the outskirts of Madrid built on former military barracks. Most of the housing will be public and therefore affordable. Prior to joining the former Sepes, Iglesias was a counselor for mobility, transport, and housing in the Extremaduran regional government. During that period, she approved the 2022–2027 Housing Plan and modified the Law on Promotion and Access to Housing in Extremadura, creating the acquisition guarantee fund, the housing guarantee mechanism, and the vacant property tax to fulfill its social function. In Congress, she was the spokesperson for housing issues for the socialist group during the X Legislature, acting as rapporteur for bills on urban rehabilitation, regeneration, and renewal; measures to promote flexibility and the rental market; and urgent measures to strengthen protection for mortgage debtors. She was also rapporteur for the bill regulating the deed in lieu of payment, halting evictions, and social renting. Iglesias takes charge of the State Secretariat for Housing, a role previously held by David Lucas until his recent passing. Her main challenge is addressing Spain’s housing access crisis. Among other initiatives, the National Housing Plan for 2026–2030 has increased investment to 7 billion euros. Developing the Perte for housing industrialization will be another key responsibility. Ramos, the new president of Casa 47, previously served as director of the affordable housing park at the public company.