A coalition of over 4,000 civic organisations has come out strongly against proposed city hall changes to Barcelona’s social housing quota, warning that the changes represent a “clear rollback” of one of the city’s key housing policies. In fact, far from loosening the rule, the groups are suggesting it should be made even more ambitious.
What’s at stake?
At the centre of the controversy is the so-called “30% rule”, a Barcelona housing regulation introduced in recent years that compels developers to allocate 30% of new builds – or major rehabilitations – to protected social housing. It’s a rare and forceful piece of policy in a crowded housing market, and one the groups behind it are determined to defend.
Now, with the government led by Mayor Jaume Collboni proposing changes to the measure, the tension is rising. The government wants to exclude large-scale refurbishments from the rule and allow the 30% to be applied instead to public land elsewhere – likely on the city’s fringes – which critics see as undermining its intent to ensure affordable housing across all neighbourhoods, including central ones.
From 3,900 buildings to just 95
Housing advocates argue that exempting large refurbishments from the 30% requirement would drastically reduce its coverage. According to Carme Arcarazo, a spokesperson for the Tenants’ Union (Sindicat de Llogateres), the change would cut the number of affected properties from 3,900 to a mere 95. “This isn’t a tweak – it’s a demolition,” said Arcarazo during a press conference on Wednesday.
She also warned that scrapping the rule could jeopardise up to 4,000 potential homes. “Is Collboni really willing to lose Barcelona?” she asked.
The current administration has floated three alternatives, but to grassroots housing groups, these are all variations on the same theme: diluting the policy so it doesn’t bite. That, they argue, plays into the hands of powerful real estate interests, moving protected housing out of sought-after districts like the Eixample, Gràcia or Sant Antoni.
More, not less
Rather than weakening the rule, the coalition – which includes the Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH), the Federation of Neighbourhood Associations of Barcelona (FAVB), and the Housing Observatory, among others – wants the city to go further. They’re calling for the quota to be raised from 30% to 40%, and for the obligation to be explicitly tied to rental accommodation, to ensure protected units remain truly affordable.
They also want beefed-up enforcement to prevent developer fraud, and greater municipal investment in buying market properties to expand the public portfolio.
“We don’t need to reform the 30% rule,” says Arcarazo. “We need to make it stronger.”
Hitting the streets
With negotiations ongoing and trust in short supply, housing campaigners are preparing to take the battle to the public arena. A mass demonstration in support of dignified housing – and against any reform that weakens the 30% rule – has been organised.
The protest will aim to send a strong message to city hall: affordable housing is not a niche issue or a footnote in planning policy. In the words of the demonstrators, it’s what will decide whether people from all backgrounds get to keep living in the city – or not.
