Country/Region: Spain

Metropolitan Housing Observatory, Barcelona (O-HB)

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Metropolitan Housing Observatory, Barcelona (O-HB)

Policies and regulations National policies Local policies Governance Data and monitoring Evaluation and impact

Main objectives of the project

The Metropolitan Housing Observatory of Barcelona (O-HB) is a supra-municipal entity dedicated to researching and analyzing housing-related data with the aim of supporting the design and evaluation of public policies in this area. It emerged in 2017 as a collaboration between the Barcelona City Council, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya, with the support of the Association of Social Housing Managers (GHS).

Date

  • 2017: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Barcelona City Council
  • AMB (Metropolitan Government)
  • Diputació de Barcelona
  • Generalitat de Catalunya

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Barcelona
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

Barcelona is experiencing an unprecedented housing crisis. Rents have skyrocketed and housing prices are unaffordable for the majority of the population. Despite this, housing data were fragmented among different administrations, were not transparent and unclear. For this reason, the City Council promoted a metropolitan observatory that could systematize the data to provide clear information on how to act in the face of the crisis. To this end, the Generalitat (the national government), the Diputació provincial (the region), the metropolitan government and the City Council, as well as civil society, with the Association of Social Housing Managers, came to an agreement. Together they made possible the Metropolitan Housing Observatory (O-HB).

Thus, the Observatory gives an open data system since its creation. The data is structured in six chapters: housing stock; construction and rehabilitation; socio-demographic and socio-economic aspects; housing and land market; problems of permanence, access and maintenance; and public policies. From these open data, all the administrations share their information and citizens, researchers and social agents can also have an impact on them.

In addition, the observatory carries out its own studies and annual reports on the state of housing. In fact, when a regulation of rental prices was made, the Observatory was in charge of evaluating it from different methodologies. As a democratic instrument at the service of housing, it also organizes debates and lectures with specialists on a regular basis.

In short, the Observatory acts as a scientific tool at the service of citizens, researchers and administrations. For the first time, it systematizes data on the current housing crisis, debates the main policies and evaluates the programs that affect affordable housing. An open laboratory and a critical space to guide the future of a Barcelona where its inhabitants can live.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Housing Observatory, Vitoria, Euskadi

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Housing Observatory, Vitoria, Euskadi

Mismatches
Policies and regulations Local policies Data and monitoring Evaluation and impact

Main objectives of the project

Responding to the pressure of the real estate market, Vitoria-Gasteiz has created a powerful Housing Observatory. This observatory, unique for a city of its size, integrates fragmented data from various sources into a single, accessible visualization. Thematic maps provide a detailed overview of the rental market, land availability and the general state of housing, all contextualized by the socioeconomic situation of neighborhoods. A tool that democratizes access to vital information to guarantee the right to housing.

Date

  • 2020: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Spain, Vitoria-Gasteiz

Description

Vitoria-Gasteiz is a medium-sized city in Spain. Despite being the capital of the Basque Country, it is the smallest city of the three provinces that make up the Autonomous Community. Vitoria-Gasteiz is known for being a city that has invested a lot in being a green reference and urban regeneration of its neighborhoods. Despite this, it suffers tremendous pressure from the real estate market, which causes it to live in an unprecedented housing crisis. For this reason, the Housing Observatory was created. Among Spanish cities, it is possibly one of the most powerful observatories in existence. Especially when taking into account that it is from a medium-sized city, which is an uncommon place to have these information platforms. Its main objective is to have an open data tool and cartographic visualization of the main housing indicators.

Before the implementation of the Housing Observatory, the information was fragmented in various administrations and entities. Thus, the main task of the Observatory is to collect, systematize, update and relate data from various sources in a single visualization. All the information is oriented to inform the real estate sector, citizens mobilized by the right to housing and administrations about the main state of housing in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The data are organized in thematic maps. Mainly, the rental market, new and used housing, land available for construction and the general state of the housing stock stand out. Around these maps you can find the average prices of housing, its condition or where new buildings can be built, public or private ownership. Everything is put in relation to the socioeconomic situation by neighborhoods, helping the idea of urban regeneration and encouraging more diverse neighborhoods with mixed uses. In addition, there is a visualization of the main indicators, which can be filtered by neighborhoods. Thus, it also provides a global and territorialized vision, beyond the thematic maps.

All this information can be downloaded and used freely by any user. In short, a tool for the democratization of housing data to coordinate actions to guarantee the subjective right to decent and affordable access to housing.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Habitatge Metròpolis (HMB), Barcelona

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Habitatge Metròpolis (HMB), Barcelona

Policies and regulations Local policies Global frameworks Governance Public-private initiatives
Financing Public funding Public-private collaboration
Promotion and production Public-private partnerships
Ownership and tenure Protection of social housing Public-private partnerships

Main objectives of the project

Habitatge Metròplis is the metropolitan operator for the promotion of public housing. A mixed public-private company that seeks to build social housing in a profitable way for the private company. Its greatest advantages are 1) the innovative governance it assumes and 2) its metropolitan dimension.

Date

  • 2019: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: Barcelona City Council
  • Promotor: Metropolitan Area of Barcleona (AMB)
  • Promotor: Neinor Homes, S.A

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Barcelona
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

Barcelona is facing the biggest housing crisis in recent years. In the capital and its metropolitan area, rents are much higher than in the rest of the country. This is causing applications for social housing to skyrocket. Despite this, the number of social housing units in Barcelona is well below the European average and is falling. This is due to the fact that for years, social housing was under ownership regime. That is, after a few years it ceases to be protected and goes to the free market. Thus, there is a need to build social housing quickly and in large quantities.

Unfortunately, the administration alone could not cope with the great demand. That is why they have decided to promote a metropolitan operator. That is to say, they have created a mixed company, between the public and private sectors, to promote social housing for the metropolitan area of Barcelona. The goal is to build 4500 homes in 6 years, 50% within the city of Barcelona and 50% in the metropolitan area. The shareholders of the company are the AMB (25%), the Barcelona City Council (25%), the company NICRENT Residencial (50%), of which Neinor Homes, S.A. and CEVASA are 50% shareholders. The balance between public and private partners and the relationship of equality, co-responsibility and long-term trust is the basis for sharing investment efforts, risks, costs and benefits. This formula guarantees the social goals of the project and its economic success, taking into account the technical capabilities and economic solvency of the participating partners.

Unlike in the past, all the housing will be for subsidized rental at below-market prices and will always be publicly owned. In this way, the land will remain under social housing protection, despite the passage of time. With regard to construction, the operator must guarantee environmental quality and sustainability with energy saving criteria and promote accessibility and architectural quality.

It is the first company of its kind to have a metropolitan dimension in Spain. In fact, Spain has a high deficit of metropolitan housing policies. A study has detected 384 institutions operating in Spain's metropolitan environments. Of these, only about 30 deal directly or indirectly with the issue of housing, despite being one of the main problems of Spanish cities (1). Thus, the operator is innovative because it assumes, for the first time, that housing does not have a municipal dimension, but goes beyond its limits. In this way, its metropolitan approach is vital for developing a joint housing policy among the 36 municipalities that make up the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.

(1) To see more into: Tomàs, M. (2023). Metrópolis sin gobierno. La anomalía española en Europa. Ed. Tirant lo Blanch.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Las Carolinas-Entrepatios, Madrid

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Las Carolinas-Entrepatios, Madrid

Mismatches Location Price Functional adequacy Services Diversity New family structures
Urban Design Modelos De Ciudad Environments Quality Liveability Inclusion Participatory processes
Promotion and production Private promotion Materials Self-management Self-promotion Cooperatives
Ownership and tenure Shared ownership

Main objectives of the project

Las Carolinas-Entrepatios is the first ecological building with right of use in Spain that has been built between the centre of Madrid and the suburbs. It is a cohousing project, which means that it is the neighbours, members of the cooperative, who, through a participatory decision-making process, have decided on everything from the ecological materials to be used in the construction of the building to what part of the budget will be allocated to the insulation of the building and the type of air conditioning, among other things. Communal spaces make up 15% of the building: a communal courtyard; a room that serves as a children’s play area and as a space for weekly food distribution; a garage with mainly bicycles; a room dedicated to housing a large cistern where rainwater is collected, treated and used for toilets and gardening, by drip; a workshop room where neighbours work with their hands; a communal laundry; and a rooftop dedicated to adult leisure. The child population accounts for almost half of the total, some twenty children between the ages of two and twelve. Las Carolinas cooperative is made up of the fifty-three people who live in its seventeen dwellings. Depending on the size of their dwelling, they have paid between 40,000 and 50,000 euros as a down payment, an amount that will be returned if they leave the cooperative and replaced by those who move in. The ownership of the building remains in the hands of the cooperative and its members use the homes, but never own them.

Date

  • 2020: Construction
  • 2016: En proceso

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: Entrepatios
  • Architect: Lógica’Eco
  • Architect: TécnicaEco
  • Architect: sAtt

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Madrid
Country/Region: Madrid, Spain

Description

A few meters from the Manzanares River, in the neighborhood of Carolinas, in Orcasur (Usera), stands the first right-to-use collaborative housing building in the city of Madrid. This project, focused on environmental and community sustainability, has been conceived as a building with its own energy production and a very low energy demand, housing a community based on mutual support. The Las Carolinas development consists of 17 homes, inhabited by 32 adults and 20 children.

Usera, where this innovative building is located, is a peripheral municipality of Madrid that has faced social challenges, including difficulties of access to housing. Emerging from an active neighborhood movement, this project represents a radical, anti-speculative and accessible solution that integrates with the local community. In contrast to the dynamics of marginalization and privatization that have affected the neighborhood, the Entrepatios initiative aims to create inclusive spaces that strengthen the community fabric.
The system used involves a group of people forming a cooperative, which acquires the land and constructs the building. However, the residents do not own the land; instead, they only have the right to use the building as part of the cooperative. This approach prioritizes the use value of the building over land value speculation, offering a solution against gentrification and dispossession.

Since the acquisition of the site in 2016, the cooperative has navigated various forms of participation in the management of the process, with the collaboration of Lógica'Eco for technical aspects and the architectural design by the sAtt studio and TécnicaEco. Funding came from ethical banking and donations. The building, located on an elongated south-facing site, consists of 17 apartments with access through an outdoor corrala, which serves as a circulation and meeting space. Common spaces include first floor and attic space for various community activities, as well as a small workshop in the basement and a common laundry room.

In keeping with its commitment to climate change mitigation and resident comfort, the building prioritizes energy efficiency and comfort, especially in summer, through quality insulation and renewable energy generation. The garden is drip-fed, a rainwater cistern is provided for water savings, and the materials used prevent the release of volatile organic materials. A wooden structure is used. In order to have clean air, we will have a double-flow controlled mechanical ventilation system, which will prevent pollutants from entering from the outside thanks to a filter. This initiative seeks to reduce energy demand and promote a more sustainable lifestyle in a city increasingly affected by heat. The project has been certified with ECOMETRO and has been designed with high energy efficiency standards, incorporating renewable technologies such as solar panels on the roof.

The Entrepatios building is proof of the possibility of housing that is free from speculation, resilient to climate change, and fosters cooperative and communal living in a vulnerable neighborhood of a large metropolis.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Masoveria Urbana, Vilafranca, Spain

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Masoveria Urbana, Vilafranca, Spain

Mismatches Vulnerable groups Vacant housing
Policies and regulations Local policies Regulation Participatory processes
Promotion and production Private promotion Self-management
Ownership and tenure

Main objectives of the project

In the global North, there's often a misconception that access to affordable housing is limited to either ownership or renting. However, historical precedents suggest otherwise. Vilafranca leveraged an ancient land ownership and possession scheme permitted by their traditional private law to devise a solution for affordable housing: the concept of "masoveria”. In Catalan tradition, "masoveria" entails an agreement wherein a property owner grants the use of a house in the countryside to a tenant at no cost. In return, the tenant assumes responsibility for maintaining and cultivating the land and fields associated with the property. This concept has been adapted in urban contexts through initiatives known as "Urban Farmhousing" or "Masoveria Urbana." In these initiatives, buildings in need of renovation and often left vacant are temporarily leased by the owner to tenants at no charge. In exchange, the tenant undertakes necessary rehabilitation works to improve the property.

Date

  • 2017: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Vilafranca City Council

Location

Continent: Europe
Country/Region: Spain

Description

Vilafranca del Panadès, located in the same region as Barcelona, is considered part of its metropolitan area despite its position on the frontier with the countryside. As the capital of wine in Catalonia, Vilafranca boasts a rich tradition of agriculture. Interestingly, this tradition has become pivotal in addressing the city's urban challenges.

Within the framework of the ALT/BAU URBACT network, Vilafranca identified a significant number of vacant buildings in its city center. The objective was to restore these buildings to tackle the city's most pressing issue: the housing crisis. Following the economic downturn of 2008, finding affordable housing in Vilafranca became increasingly difficult, with prices soaring. Meanwhile, many vacant buildings remained in need of refurbishment, offering potential solutions that could benefit younger residents.

In the rural areas surrounding Vilafranca, there exists a particular type of unused contract known as Masoveria. Under this arrangement, a landowner grants a "masover" the use of the land for agricultural purposes, allowing the landowner to retain ownership while the "masover" benefits from cultivating the land. Recognizing the potential application of this concept in the housing sector, Vilafranca sought to adapt it to their urban challenges.

The proposed solution operates on a simple premise: property owners lacking the financial means to renovate their vacant buildings lease them to younger individuals, who take responsibility for refurbishing the properties. In exchange, the tenants have the right to use the house unit with the condition of improving it. This arrangement not only addresses the housing crisis by providing access to housing without exorbitant costs but also benefits property owners by ensuring their properties are maintained and improved.

This system allows people without house to access one (without paying the market prices!). And then, people with vacant houses earn someone maintaining it and improving it. Central to the success of this initiative is the support of the local council. The municipality actively promotes this model through its website and press releases, maintaining a list of interested owners and tenants. Potential matches are facilitated through initial meetings, with the municipality offering assistance in drafting leasing contracts and navigating the process. Additionally, the municipality serves as a mediator if necessary, fostering collaboration between owners and tenants.

To further promote awareness and engagement, the city council organizes festivities in areas with vacant buildings, featuring music and family events on weekends. These events aim to attract citizens to these areas, allowing them to explore the vacant buildings and appreciate their heritage value. Ultimately, the goal is to empower citizens to make use of these opportunities and contribute to the revitalization of these spaces.

This project exemplifies two key insights: firstly, the innovative utilization of traditional legal frameworks to provide affordable housing without significant public expenditure, and secondly, the proactive role of the public sector in facilitating collaboration among stakeholders, positioning it as a leader in urban development rather than merely a provider of services.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Cireres

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Cireres

Mismatches Financing Functional adequacy Services Cultural suitability Diversity Climate change
Policies and regulations Local policies Land Public-private initiatives
Financing Financial actors
Urban Design Environments Quality Liveability
Promotion and production Public-private partnerships Participatory processes Self-management Self-promotion Cooperatives
Ownership and tenure Shared ownership Protection of social housing Land ownership

Main objectives of the project

Cireres is a housing project whose goal is to build a cooperative housing that avoids speculation and the market dynamics. Thanks to a leasing of public land, a group of people in search of affordable housing could form a community with sustainable and top-tier housing units.

Date

  • 2022: Ganador
  • 2022: Construction
  • 2017: En proceso

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: SostreCivic (Coopertaiva Cireres)
  • Promotor: Barcelona City Hall
  • Constructor: La Constructiva
  • Architect: CelObert
  • Matriu
  • Col·lectiu Ronda
  • Fiare
  • Arç

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Barcelona
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

Cireres is located in Roquetes, a popular neighborhood of Barcelona, with significant levels of vulnerability. This neighborhood has undergone considerable urban improvement since the 1990s. Originally, it was formed as a neighborhood of informal housing. Over the years, these dwellings have been integrated into the urban fabric and living conditions have improved. Today, the neighborhood faces new challenges. Mainly, housing speculation has entered fully into the daily life of the neighbors. For this reason, an investment in social housing is necessary. However, social housing is often expensive for the administration and has no roots in the neighborhood.

Cireres wants to solve the above problems. The project follows the logic of cooperative housing in lease of use. The public administration leases a municipal lot to a cooperative for a long period of time. In exchange, the cooperative builds the building and its members have the right to use the housing. In this way, the municipality does not lose public land for affordable housing. On the other hand, tenants have secure tenure and are part of a larger community integrated into the neighborhood, with the agency to build and decide on their project. To move in, each cohabitation unit has had to make an initial returnable capital contribution and then monthly payments, including services and utilities, which are below city rents.

Cireres also goes a step further. The objective is to generate a community that can build the entire project and live thereafter from the social and solidarity economy, not linked to the speculative market. Thus, the financing comes from Fiare, an ethical bank. The insurance company, the construction company, the management company... and all the agents involved are non-profit cooperatives. In this way, the value of use is put in front of the value of exchange, demonstrating another way to build affordable housing. In addition, the project includes a social economat, a working cooperative of residents dedicated to the trade of agro-ecological products.

The community life of Cireres is structured in an assembly, linked to the realities of the neighborhood and the residents. Its 32 dwellings are organized around common spaces. Thus, the idea is to be a single house, erasing the distance between the public and the private, integrating community life in the residence. For example, the houses are structured around a landing where neighbors can go out to hang the laundry, play... There are also communal indoor spaces. The communal project has an ideology that everyone must respect, the framework from which the activities, complicities and constructions of relationships, group and building are developed.

The site is a plot of 428 m2 located in the street Pla dels Cirerers, 2-4, We wanted to have shared spaces of quality, which allow to release functions of the interior of the private spaces to give them to the community, so 190m2 of buildability of the site are no longer exhausted by the commitment to make community spaces. We have built reduced private living spaces (50 m2 on average), which are compensated by 771 m2 of space for community use. The material used in Cirerers is mainly wood, and also lime mortar on the facades and plasterboard in the interiors. All of them are biodegradable materials with a low ecological footprint, since their production, transport and recycling involve very low CO2 emissions.

The building has won several awards: Advanced Architecture Awards 2022 in the Sustainability category - REBUILD, European Social Innovation Competition (EUSIC) and finalist of the MINI Design Awards 2022 - Madrid Design Festival.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

La Balma

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La Balma

Mismatches Location Financing Functional adequacy Cultural suitability Diversity Vulnerable groups New family structures
Policies and regulations Local policies Land Governance Public-private initiatives Participatory processes
Financing Financial actors
Urban Design Quality Liveability
Promotion and production Public-private partnerships Participatory processes Self-management Self-promotion Cooperatives
Ownership and tenure Shared ownership Rental and temporary tenure Protection of social housing Land ownership Public-private partnerships

Main objectives of the project

La Balma is a housing cooperative on public land. Through a system of rights on land ("cesión de uso"), the municipality leases the land for a long period of time. In exchange, a cooperative of people who meet the requirements to build social housing builds their cooperative. About thirty people live in La Balma, with 20 cohabitation units.

Date

  • 2021: Construction
  • 2017: En proceso
  • 2016: Ganador

Stakeholders

  • Promotor: Sostre Civic (Coopertiva La Balma)
  • Architect: La Boqueria
  • Architect: LaCol
  • Constructor: La Constructiva SCCL
  • Constructor: Arkenova
  • Barcelona City Hall
  • Fiare Banca Ètica
  • Òmnium Cultural
  • Coop57
  • Punt de referència

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Barcelona
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

La Balma is located in the Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona. The neighborhood is an old industrial center of the city, which in recent years has become the first district of technological innovation in the country. It is called 22@. This project was intended to generate a technological district while maintaining the residential-industrial mix characteristic of the neighborhood. The reality has been more complex. The neighborhood has suffered a clear process of gentrification. Housing prices have skyrocketed and many of the traditional premises are no longer there. Thus, one challenge is to maintain a population involved in the neighborhood and that can afford to live in it.

It is from this logic that La Balma was born, a cooperative housing made on public land. Being part of the cooperative requires an initial contribution and the payment of monthly installments that are derived from the costs of acquisition, maintenance and operation of the cooperative housing project, and not from the situation of the real estate market. Thus, one does not acquire the land nor does one acquire the housing. Being part of the cooperative you have the right of use (or the transfer of use) for a long or lifetime period, without real estate market rises and without possible speculation. In this way, the municipality does not lose public land for affordable housing, only leases it without the cost of building social housing. On the other hand, tenants have a secure tenure and are part of a larger community integrated into the neighborhood, with the agency to build and decide on their project. To move in, each cohabitation unit has had to make an initial returnable capital contribution of between €28,000 and €38,000. The monthly payments, which include services and utilities, range from €512 to €800 per dwelling. The financing of these amounts has been made possible thanks to Fiare, an ethical and community bank.

The community at La Balma is heterogeneous and intergenerational. There are 30 people living in 20 units. We find single-parent families, couples, couples with children, cohabitant adults and individual units (from young people to retired people). Many of these people are lifelong residents of Poblenou. In fact, the community was formed prior to construction, participating in all phases of the project, from design to move-in. It also includes a pioneering social project. One of the homes is destined for two young people in exile, thanks to a joint program with Punt de Referència, an organization that works to promote the emancipation of these young people in vulnerable situations, and financed by the Libres Project (Coop57, Òmnium Cultural and ECAS). In addition, these young people participated in the entire design process of the project and participate in the democratic management of the building. To promote the interrelationship with the neighborhood, we also have a first floor space shared with associations and individuals to promote their projects. On the other hand, we are committed to ecological consumption, linking the cooperative with consumer cooperatives in the surrounding area and to self-production with vegetable gardens on the roof.

As far as the building is concerned, it has flexible and multipurpose spaces that evolve with the group according to the changes of both the living units and the people who will inhabit the building: incorporation of new members, births, growth processes of children-adolescents, aging processes of adults ... Thus, the typologies start from a basic module of 50m2 and from the annexation of living units of 16m2 (considered common space for private use in legal terms) allow to grow and shrink the houses. These units are ceded by the cooperative to the family units that need them at any given moment, therefore, it becomes a mechanism to manage changes as an alternative to rotation. This proposal is viable due to the fact that the management of the building is the responsibility of the community itself. The dwellings reduce their surface area (5-10%) to share services such as laundry, study, guest rooms or storage rooms, thus allowing that the collectivization does not involve a cost overrun, but rather the opposite, a saving and a gain in surface area and quality of life.

The architectural project has 225m2 of interior area destined to communal spaces, plus semi-exterior and exterior areas, where we find the following uses: living room - dining room, multipurpose room, library and work space, a laundry per floor, health and care space connected with auxiliary rooms, guest rooms, common and individual storage per floor, equipped deck and outdoor living area, bicycle parking, tool space and workshop area.

In 2016 the competition for the construction was won and in 2021 the building was move-in ready.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Móstoles fight against homelessness

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Móstoles fight against homelessness

Mismatches Vulnerable groups
Policies and regulations Local policies Global frameworks Data and monitoring

Main objectives of the project

The city of Móstoles in Spain, with a population of 205,614, stands as a compelling example of the proactive measures taken by local authorities worldwide to address housing challenges. Situated in the southern metropolitan area of Madrid, Móstoles, like many neighboring municipalities, endured severe repercussions from the enduring economic downturn that began in 2008. With a predominantly working-class population, the city faced a pressing housing crisis marked by escalating evictions and a rise in homelessness. In response, Móstoles initiated a multifaceted strategy aimed at ameliorating the situation and safeguarding the right to housing. This comprehensive approach encompasses a spectrum of initiatives, ranging from providing direct assistance to families facing eviction to actively promoting social housing and advocating for the rights of the homeless population.

Date

  • 2016: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Móstoles municipality

Location

Country/Region: Madrid, Spain

Description

Móstoles, situated in the southern periphery of Madrid, predominantly comprises a working-class demographic, with an average per capita income of 19,000 euros, notably lower than Madrid's average of 30,000 euros. The lingering effects of the economic downturn have exacerbated social and economic disparities, reflected in the surge of users accessing municipal social services from 8,000 before the crisis to 25,000 in 2017. This crisis has particularly impacted the most vulnerable segments of our population, with homelessness emerging as a stark manifestation of social exclusion.

To address this pressing issue, Móstoles has fortified its existing services, including shelters, and in 2016, established a community center providing nighttime shelter—a rarity in the southern metropolitan area of Madrid. Additionally, the city has implemented a successful Housing First strategy and expanded its "emergency apartments" stock by nearly 100 units.

Two key innovations have been introduced to tackle homelessness head-on. Firstly, the creation of the "Office for the Right to Housing" aims to prevent evictions and homelessness. This office serves two primary functions: facilitating connections between housing issues and municipal social services, including the provision of emergency financial aid, and offering legal services to negotiate with various stakeholders to halt evictions and seek resolutions for those affected by financial speculation. The objective here is to stop evictions in our city or reaching agreements that will free people who have been victims of financial speculation, such as moratorium agreements, payment dams or debt forgiveness.

The second innovation is the adoption of the Homeless Bill of Rights, positioning Móstoles as one of the few cities pioneering such initiatives. A multidisciplinary team monitors the daily experiences of homeless individuals, ensuring their rights are upheld. Administrative flexibility has been introduced to enable homeless individuals to access essential services by facilitating their registration. In Spain, you need to be registered in a house to have access to many social services. For this reason, they have facilitated homeless people access to this registry regardless of their housing situation. Collaborative efforts with social agents aim to raise awareness and engage citizens in addressing homelessness.

Through these measures, Móstoles underscores the importance of prioritizing housing issues. Despite budgetary constraints, the city has demonstrated how strategic policy implementation can prevent a housing emergency from escalating into a social crisis.

It is important to mention that the policies have allowed us to have more data on the situation of homelessness in Móstoles. This allows us to improve future care, innovating in future actions.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Anti-eviction Office in Palma, Mallorca, Spain

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Anti-eviction Office in Palma, Mallorca, Spain

Policies and regulations Local policies Governance Evictions Price control

Main objectives of the project

Established in 2015 in response to Mallorca's housing crisis, particularly in Palma, the Anti-eviction Office has become a beacon of hope for struggling families facing eviction threats due to unaffordable mortgages and rising rent prices. Financed by the municipality, the office's primary goal is to prevent evictions by offering legal aid and guidance to affected families. Acting as a mediator between tenants, owners, and financial institutions, it strives to find solutions and emergency housing alternatives when mediation fails. With its transdisciplinary team, the office provides comprehensive assistance, streamlining housing support previously fragmented across different governmental levels.

Date

  • 2015: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Palma City Council

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Palma de Mallorca
Country/Region: Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Description

In Mallorca, Spain, the 2008 crisis was above all a housing crisis. Mortgages could not be paid and rent was rising while luxurious houses and short-term rental tourist apartments were on the rise. In this context, Palma, its city, faced a wave of evictions. The result could have been homelessness and a social emergency situation. However, in 2015, the Anti-eviction Office was created.

The main goal of the office was to stop all the eviction processes they could. Financed by the municipality, the Anti-eviction Office offers orientation and legal aid to all the families struggling to pay the rent or threatened for eviction. Its aim is mediating between owner and tenant or between owner and financial institution. In case the mediation is not possible, the municipality tries to find an “emergency housing alternative”. The office also does a work of prevention and education, helping families to manage their rent and services. The team behind it is transdisciplinary, helping te citizens from different angles.

The biggest virtue of the Office is becoming a one-stop office regarding housing issues. Before its creation, housing was divided in three different administrations (national, regional and local government), each one with its own procedures and areas. The Office was a way to help all citizens from the same office for any issue regarding housing and eviction in a situation of emergency. In the last 8 years, the office has stopped nearly two thousand evictions, representing the 65% of the cases. Moreover, similar schemes can be found in Barcelona and other major cities of Spain.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España

Rent control in Catalonia

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Rent control in Catalonia

Policies and regulations National policies Local policies Governance Price control

Main objectives of the project

In 2020, Catalonia (the region of Barcelona) implemented a restrictive rent control mechanism. Defining a price index in the area, depending on the features of the unit, any owner could surpass the limit of it. By doing so, in the year the limit was set in place, the prices decrease compared to other areas without the regulation.

Date

  • 2024: Implementation
  • 2020: Implementation

Stakeholders

  • Metropolitan Government of Barcelona
  • Catalonia's Government

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Barcelona
Country/Region: Barcelona, Spain

Description

Barcelona, as a global city, faced a big challenge: housing rent. The city has a low social housing stock and private owners had a lot of power to determine the price of the rent. As a result, a speculative increase on the rent was set in place. To avoid it, the government of Catalonia implemented a rent control that became one of the most restrictive ones in Euroe

In 2020, the Catalonia Government created a price index for each area of the country. The price index was based on the features of the building and the rent currently paid in the zone (in new and old contracts). Then, all new contracts made in the zones must be lower than the index. There were fines for non-compliance, ranging from EUR 3,000 to EUR 90,000 depending on the seriousness of the offence.

After a year in motion, the policy was overruled by the constitutional court. The argument was not about the content, but about the legal power Catalonia had to do the regulation. For this reason, in 2024, Catalonia promoted a new rent control based on the legal framework of the Spanish State. In this case, the price index only affects owners of more than 5 housing units. For the rest of landlords, the limitation is that the new contract cannot be above the old one.

Although it is too early to assess the new regulation, the one in 2020 has proved to be effective. Doing a diff-in-diff analysis, the Observatory of Metropolitan Housing (the public agency responsible to assess housing policies) stated that the regulation lowered the price for tenants during the year it was enforced.

Links

Authors:

CSCAE Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España