€400 culture voucher for young people turning 18 proposed for 2022 budget

The Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez has announced that a voucher worth €400 will be given to each young person turning eighteen, to be spent on books or tickets to cultural events.

The "youth culture voucher" will form part of Spain's proposed budget for 2022, which will be approved by the executive on Thursday. The minority government will then need support from other parliamentary groups in order for the bill to be passed in Congress.

The proposal is similar to already existing schemes in countries such as France and Italy, and will consist of €400 for 18-year-olds to buy tickets for the theater, the cinema or concerts, or for purchasing books.

Announcing the measure on Wednesday, Sánchez said he was excited by it, saying it "helps not only young people but also a very important industry, culture, that has suffered so much during the pandemic."

He said the initiative would "allow these young people to access culture," as well as giving "a helping hand" to the cultural sector.

Housing grants and rent law

On Tuesday, several other aspects of the proposed budget were announced, including a monthly housing grant of €250 per month for young people aged between 18 and 35 years with an annual income of less than €23,725.

Those up to the age of 35 will be able to access this aid for the next two years.

The deal agreed by Sánchez's Socialists and their coalition partners Podemos also includes a Spain-wide housing bill that would allow authorities to regulate rent prices of properties owned by big landowners ('grans tenidors' in Catalan).

Additionally, 30% of all new homes would have to be made into social housing, of which half would have to have low 'social' rents, and it would allow local councils to raise property taxes on empty houses and apartments.