Barcelona mayor warns EU housing crisis committee that 'rules must be changed'

On Monday, Barcelona welcomed a delegation of MEPs from the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis, which will also be visiting neighboring Badalona until Wednesday, May 28.

During their first day in the Catalan capital, the delegation met with representatives from the Spanish and Catalan governments, as well as the Barcelona City Council.

Those present included Spanish housing minister Isabel Rodríguez, Catalan territory minister Sílvia Paneque, and Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni.

Before the committee, Collboni said “the rules of the game must be changed to guarantee the right to housing,” adding that the Socialist Party is “doing just that.”

“Barcelona has a housing model and a roadmap to address this crisis,” said the mayor. 

After meeting with Catalan politicians, the MEPs visited Càritas and its Llar Betània project, a housing project for women undergoing social reintegration.

Criticism of commission as “fake”

The left-wing party Comuns stated to the press on Monday that they will not be meeting with the committee during its visit. 

The party’s MEP, Jaume Asens, criticized the delegation for creating a “fake mission” that is “political marketing” and “propaganda.”

Asens added that the conservative People’s Party and the governing Socialist Party created the commission to “hide their responsibility for the ongoing housing crisis” and “rewrite history” in their favor.

Former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, also from the Comuns, accused the Socialists of being “cynical,” adding that the only thing the ruling party had done “in eight years” has been to “throw a wrench in the works” whenever the Comuns have tried to “forcefully regulate tourism and tourist apartments” in Barcelona.

ERC demands to committee

The left-wing pro-independence party ERC supports the overall effort of the delegation. However, the party’s general secretary, Elisenda Alamany, stated to the press that ERC will demand that the committee limit future purchases made by European investment funds.

“We need buyers who are committed to their city,” said Alamany, adding that the ongoing debates on housing “have produced no results,” and that “action needs to be taken.”

The general secretary also criticized the Comuns, accusing them of “erasing” the mission.

“I’m more worried that people don’t have anywhere to live in Barcelona than the people who are trying to erase the mission,” said the general secretary.

Examining root causes of housing purpose

The purpose of the committee is to “thoroughly examine the root causes of the current housing crisis and propose concrete, actionable solutions at a European level.” 

Another reason behind the committee’s visit to the two Catalan cities is to evaluate the cities that are tourist destinations and have experienced a significant short-term increase in rent prices, as well as analyze the implemented "strategies” to solve the problem.

The committee was established on 30 January 2025 to propose solutions for decent, sustainable, and affordable housing for all European citizens within twelve months.

The delegation will be led by the chair of the committee, the Italian Irene Tinagli, of the Socialists and Democrats, and will be accompanied by five other MEPs, from Greece, Croatia, Romania, Czechia, and the Netherlands.

Five Spanish MEPs will accompany the delegation: Borja Giménez (People's Party), Alícia Homs (Socialists), Margarita de la Pisa (Vox), Diana Riba (Esquerra Republicana), and Irene Montero (Podemos). 

Agenda

On Tuesday, May 27, the delegation will be in Badalona to meet representatives from the city council, including Mayor Xavier García Albiol.

This will be followed by a meeting with social organisations at the European Parliament's liaison office in Barcelona: the UGT union, the Tenants' Union (Sindicat de Llogateres), and the Federation of Barcelona Neighborhood Associations.

In the afternoon, MEPs will visit Fundació Hàbitat3, a social housing foundation that ensures access to decent housing for vulnerable groups.

They will then return to the European Parliament’s liaison office in Barcelona to meet with economic stakeholders: the Catalan Association of Property Developers and Builders, the Barcelona Tourist Apartments Association, the Catalan Businesses Association Foment del Treball, the Catalan Landlords Association, and the Cercle d’Economia economic think tank.

On Wednesday, May 28, the MEPs will meet with experts and researchers from various universities and research institutions at the European Parliament premises in Barcelona.

At noon, there will be a press conference with Irene Tinagli, the head of the delegation.

Throughout the year, the committee plans to travel to at least three more cities, with the next visit scheduled to the Austrian capital Vienna in July.