The housing crisis in Barcelona, a city grappling with the same challenges as other major Spanish and European urban centers, has reached a critical point. According to the latest municipal barometer, housing is the top concern for Barcelonians, with 32.8% citing it as their primary worry, significantly outweighing insecurity (25.2%) and cleanliness (6.8%). This deep-seated concern underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of the problem and effective solutions.
Challenging the Narrative: Supply vs. Speculation
A central debate surrounding Barcelona’s housing woes revolves around whether rising prices and accessibility issues are primarily due to speculation and large property holders. However, a recent study based on official data from the Barcelona Cadastre shifts the focus, pointing to a fundamental lack of supply as the main culprit.
The report, compiled from Cadastral Statistics, asserts that property ownership in Barcelona is widely distributed and predominantly held by small owners, effectively ruling out a massive concentration of housing in a few hands. Specifically, Barcelona boasts approximately 530,000 owners possessing 706,000 residential properties, averaging 1.33 properties per owner. This indicates that the vast majority of owners (84%) hold only one property, while 99% own five or fewer. In stark contrast, only 32 individuals or entities in the entire city own more than 100 properties.
Jordi Valls, the fourth Deputy Mayor for Economy of the Barcelona City Council, echoed these findings last week, denying that the Catalan capital is “a city in the hands of major speculators” regarding housing, though he acknowledged their existence. Speaking at the XI Immoscòpia 2026 Tribune of the Association of Real Estate Agents of Barcelona (API), Valls extended an olive branch to the private sector, emphasizing their crucial role in resolving the situation and “providing answers to people who cannot wait any longer.”
The Limited Role of Corporations in Barcelona’s Housing Landscape
The report further reveals that companies constitute a mere 3% of property owners in Barcelona, controlling approximately 8% of the residential stock. Within this group, more than half of these companies own only one property, and nearly a third possess between two and five. This data further reinforces the argument that corporate speculation is not the dominant factor in Barcelona’s housing market.
The Imperative for Increased Supply and Streamlined Processes
The study unequivocally concludes that Barcelona’s primary housing challenge is not speculation or concentrated ownership, but rather a severe scarcity of supply in a city characterized by extremely high demand. To address this, the report advocates for a multi-pronged approach: increasing housing supply, streamlining development processes, and facilitating rehabilitation efforts.
Montserrat Junyent, President of the Barcelona API College and the Association of Real Estate Agents of Catalonia (AIC), underscored the urgency of the situation, stating that Catalonia needs to construct between 20,000 and 25,000 homes annually to tackle the housing access problem effectively. Junyent sharply criticized the current “legal instability” imposed by institutions, arguing that “less supply leads to more tension and makes housing access more difficult for vulnerable groups. The problem is structural and represents a true national emergency that demands a change of course.”
Xavier Roig, Director of the Register of Real Estate Agents of Catalonia, further added at the same forum that the real estate sector “has already accumulated many laws and many changes.” This sentiment highlights the frustration within the industry regarding the constantly evolving regulatory landscape.
A Call for a New Approach
The findings of this report present a clear challenge to the prevailing narratives surrounding Barcelona’s housing crisis. By definitively pointing to a lack of supply as the core issue, it necessitates a shift in policy and strategy. Instead of solely focusing on curbing speculation, policymakers must prioritize initiatives that stimulate the construction of new housing units, expedite administrative procedures, and incentivize the renovation of existing properties. Collaboration between public and private sectors, as advocated by Deputy Mayor Valls, will be crucial in overcoming this complex challenge.
The future of Barcelona’s housing market hinges on a willingness to embrace these new insights and implement decisive actions. Failure to do so risks exacerbating the crisis, further marginalizing vulnerable populations, and undermining the city’s social and economic fabric. The question is no longer who is to blame, but rather what concrete steps will be taken to ensure that Barcelona remains a city accessible to all its residents.
Source: https://www.larazon.es/cataluna/falta-oferta-principal-problema-vivienda-barcelona_20260118696d244abe7ae37724cd873c.html
