A block of public housing in Barcelona’s Besòs i el Maresme neighbourhood, inaugurated in 2023, has already revealed serious shortcomings. The city council confirmed that inspectors have documented 357 faults and defects across the 54 flats in the development, managed by the Municipal Housing Institute (IMHAB).
Tenants have complained of broken railings, ripped-out locks, misaligned doors, cracked walls, damp patches and even infestations. The issues, they say, are compounded by problems of maintenance, cleanliness and anti-social behaviour in communal areas.
According to deputy mayor for housing Jordi Valls, 34 inspections have been carried out and nearly all the reported anomalies are either resolved or scheduled for repair. His counterpart in security, Albert Batlle, added that 344 of the 357 identified problems had already been fixed, with the remainder in progress.
Opposition councillors have expressed concern at the state of the building. Junts’ Damià Calvet described the catalogue of faults as unacceptable, while ERC’s Rosa Suriñach warned that residents were reaching breaking point and that the case had surpassed IMHAB’s management capacity.
The council has pledged to repair persianas and flooring, improve security with the possible hire of guards and installation of CCTV, and reinforce cleaning in communal spaces. A meeting has been scheduled with residents to present the remedial plan.
The episode is the latest in a series of controversies over the quality and upkeep of Barcelona’s public housing stock, with critics insisting that vulnerable tenants are paying the price of poor planning and inadequate oversight.
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