Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni has put forward a proposal to increase taxes on property purchases made by non-residents, a direct measure aimed at cooling the city’s overheated housing market and curbing speculative investment.
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Speaking on Wednesday at the annual ‘L’alcalde respon’ (The Mayor Responds) conference, Collboni identified the struggle for affordable housing as a paramount challenge for the average Barcelona resident. He framed the issue as a shared burden among major European hubs, stating, “This is not a problem exclusive to Barcelona or Catalonia; it also affects Madrid, Paris, and other cities.”
The event, organised by the Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya and held at the Disseny Hub Barcelona, provided the stage for the mayor to advocate for more robust market controls. “In this common context of large European cities, we should study how to increase taxation for the purchase of housing by non-residents,” he proposed, specifically targeting acquisitions with a “supposed speculative purpose” by individuals living outside Spain.
A Multi-Pronged Housing Strategy
The proposed tax is the latest component in a broader strategy to tackle the housing crisis. Collboni declared his support for “intervention and regulation” against real estate speculation, while clarifying that his government’s measures are designed to avoid penalising “small property owners.”
This approach includes several high-profile policies. The mayor highlighted the application of rental price caps, part of a wider housing law that has faced legal challenges from opposition parties. He also referenced the city’s plan to phase out all tourist flats by 2028, a move intended to return thousands of properties to the long-term rental market.
Furthermore, Collboni celebrated a recent Supreme Court of Spain ruling that upheld a local law mandating 30% of new developments be reserved for social housing. However, he criticised its implementation under his predecessor, Ada Colau, asserting it “has not worked.” He also noted that a proposed modification to the rule is currently awaiting “in a drawer” due to a lack of political consensus.
Despite the focus on regulation, the mayor stressed the need to increase housing stock. “The problem is not that luxury housing is being built, but that luxury prices are being demanded in Poble-sec,” he remarked, emphasising that boosting supply across the board is essential to rebalance prices.
Tensions Flare at Mayoral Address
The acute public frustration over housing was palpable during the conference. Iru Moner, an activist from the Som Barri de Vallcarca neighbourhood association, interrupted the proceedings, shouting that Collboni had “betrayed” an agreement concerning local evictions. The mayor responded by stating that a mediation process was underway to resolve the dispute.
The event drew a significant political audience, including members of Collboni’s Socialists’ Party of Catalonia (PSC), opposition councillors, and the socialist mayors of neighbouring L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Sant Adrià de Besòs, David Quirós and Filo Cañete, respectively.
Regional Budgets and Papal Visits
Beyond housing, Collboni issued a stark warning about the potential fallout from a failure to approve the Generalitat de Catalunya’s budget. He cautioned that a political impasse could jeopardise €250 million in joint investments between the Catalan government and the city council.
“We are talking about security, housing, education, health… It would have a direct effect on people’s lives,” the mayor warned, urging all parties to show “a sense of responsibility.”
On a different note, Collboni welcomed the news of a potential papal visit in June to inaugurate the Tower of Jesus at the Sagrada Família. He praised the current pontiff, Leon XIV, as a moral leader in the vein of his predecessor, Pope Francis, and an important voice for peace in global conflicts. “He is important in a moment of international bewilderment and lack of moral reference points because if they are Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping, we are done for,” he concluded.
