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

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access
A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.

Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills
Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.

Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.
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