Barcelona City Council has purchased 97 apartments to protect tenants and expand the city’s affordable rental market. This significant Barcelona public housing investment directly prevents potential displacement and secures long-term residency for locals. Consequently, the local government invested €48.95 million in real estate assets during 2025. This move responds to projections that Catalonia’s housing crisis is set to worsen.
City officials spent €21.71 million specifically on the 97 apartments. Meanwhile, the remaining funds covered the purchase of three plots of land and an office building on Via Laietana. By securing these assets, Mayor Jaume Collboni’s government aims to develop a further 199 homes in the coming years. Therefore, this local action aligns with wider advocacy from an alliance of European city leaders spearheaded by Barcelona’s Jaume Collboni. They are calling for EU-level solutions.
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Accelerating Barcelona public housing investment
The pace of investment has increased significantly compared to previous years. In 2023, the council spent €13 million on 105 flats. Subsequently, a €9 million spend on 36 units followed in 2024. Deputy Mayor for Housing Jordi Valls confirmed that 70% of the 2025 deals were finalised in the final quarter.
Valls stated that the council expects to reach a total investment of €100 million by the end of the current mandate. The authority currently manages more than 13,000 public homes. Moreover, it intends to add another 2,000 by 2027. Officials confirmed these figures in an official announcement regarding the 2025 fiscal year.
Enforcing the 30% rule for housing
The council actively uses existing regulations to secure more homes from private developers. Under the “30% rule”, developers must reserve a portion of new buildings for social housing. These efforts are bolstered by a new ordinance relaxing the right of first refusal and repurchase. This gives the council more power to intervene in private sales. The Collboni administration has begun purchasing these quotas directly when developers prefer not to manage them.
Recent transactions include four apartments on Carrer de Llull bought for €660,000. Additionally, eight homes on Carrer de Garrofers were acquired for €1.61 million. Valls noted that while the current government supports the 30% regulation, they believe it requires flexibility to remain effective. He emphasised that if the private sector is unwilling to develop the social share, the council is ready to step in and acquire it.
Strategic swaps and symbolic purchases
The investment list includes the high-profile purchase of Casa Orsola. This property became a symbol of the local housing movement. The council paid €4.86 million towards the €9.2 million total cost. The non-profit entity Hàbitat 3 covered the rest. This intervention prevented the eviction of tenants from the 26-unit block.
A major portion of the annual spend—€22.35 million—went towards acquiring the building at Via Laietana 8-10. This building will house 700 municipal workers rather than residents. However, the move allows the council to free up other municipal plots in the dense Ciutat Vella district. These vacated sites will now be used to build three new housing developments and a primary care centre in the Gothic Quarter.
Looking ahead to 2026, the council has budgeted an initial €20 million for further acquisitions. This figure may rise as officials continue to explore collaborative purchases. They will also use pre-emption rights to boost the Barcelona public housing investment inventory.
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