OUTRAGE has erupted on the Costa Blanca after the affluent son of a local politician snapped up one of the city’s few ‘affordable homes’ – properties typically reserved for low-income families.
Entrepreneur Alejandro Lillo, the son of San Vicente Partido Popular (PP) councillor Mercedes Torregrosa, has settled with his wife into a sixth-floor apartment at the protected-housing complex Les Naus, in northeast Alicante.
The 140 homes at Les Naus, designated as VPOs (Vivienda de Proteccion Oficial), are normally reserved for residents earning under €55,000 a year. Lillo, however, owns and runs three consulting firms, while his wife, Carmen Bañon, serves as the general director of the locally renowned cosmetic clinic Enea.
Les Naus was thrust into a city-wide scandal earlier this month after it emerged that several homes had been allocated to local politicians and their relatives – including former planning councillor Rocio Gomez, who stepped down alongside other officials amid the uproar.
The revelation involving Lillo and Bañon, sparked by an investigation by local newspaper Informacion, has intensified scrutiny over how Alicante’s limited affordable homes are being distributed – with scores of X users venting their fury online.
“These are the luxury squatters no one talks about,” one user wrote. “Not in the headlines, not in the news, not in the talk-shows.”
In a comment beneath the post, another X user slammed the pair as ‘pijokupas’ (‘posh squatters’).
Lillo and Bañon even revamped the flat before moving in, according to one of their since-deleted social media posts, brushing off the original design as ‘soulless.’
They enlisted Antonio Rabadan, an architect with a nationwide reputation and offices in Madrid and Murcia, to carry out the works.
The refurbished apartment features bespoke furniture finishes and a sleek open-plan kitchen layout, Informacion reported.
Before tying the knot in 2025, Lillo and Bañon regularly flaunted their lavish lifestyle on social media – including trips to the Maldives, Japan, New York, Sri Lanka, Paris, Greece and Monaco.
Though it remains unclear on what basis the couple landed the apartment, earlier controversies surrounding Les Naus sparked a wave of resignations at Alicante city council in early February.
Police reportedly conducted door-to-door checks at Les Naus earlier this week in an effort to build a clearer picture of who is actually living in the development.
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One family is said to have bagged five separate homes, with three siblings and two cousins – all aged between 18 and 34 – each securing their own apartment.
Town hall spokesperson Cristina Cutanda claimed the five relatives were ‘placed ahead of many other families.’
In another confirmed case, three individuals sharing the same surname were each allocated a Les Naus property – an elderly person, a 19-year-old and a 22-year-old.
The young ages of some residents have raised fresh eyebrows, Cutanda explained, because applicants must typically register with local housing authorities before qualifying for one of Alicante’s sought-after affordable homes.
Waiting lists, she stressed, are notoriously long – often dragging on for years.
Cutanda said: “When did these family members register? At 14 or 15 years old?
“How is that even possible?”
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