One apartment building — and its tenants who faced eviction — became a potent symbol of the city’s growing housing crisis.
The city of Barcelona purchased a residential building that has become a symbol of the city’s housing crisis, a strategy becoming more common in European cities.
As Feargus O'Sullivan explains in Bloomberg CityLab, “The buyout has focused attention on new strains on Barcelona’s housing market — specifically the knock-on effects of rent control regulations and the city’s ban on short-term rentals.”
The city banned short-term rentals last year, but landlords have been exploiting loopholes that leave ‘medium-term’ rentals more loosely regulated. “In September 2024, a survey found that over 63% of Barcelona rentals advertised on Idealista were for medium-term contracts. Their average rent of €1,500 per month is €300 above the average for long-term rentals.”
The 27-unit Casa Orsola building was bought by a real estate company last year that planned to convert the units to higher-priced, medium-term rentals that would serve foreigners and evict current tenants. After protests, the city’s government agreed to purchase the building with a local affordable housing provider.
FULL STORY: Why Barcelona Bought the Building That Symbolizes Its Housing Crisis
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