Editorial: La Vanguardia

• The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has introduced two measures to alleviate housing shortages and stem migration from the city due to high housing prices.
• One measure is to eliminate the rule of allocating 30% of new builds to social housing, a policy of his predecessor, Ada Colau.
• The second, and more striking, is to eliminate all tourist-use flats in Barcelona by 2028, utilizing a decree from the Generalitat.
• This decision has spurred both support and skepticism, given the challenge it might pose to legality and the legitimate profits of homeowners and businesses.
• Policies centered on limiting the private sector, such as the 30% allocation for social housing, have proven unsuccessful in the past.
• Potential conflicts between private sector and public administration could hinder the objectives.

Conclusion: To achieve a greater supply of affordable housing, dialogue and cooperation between public administration and the private sector is needed, rather than restrictive and unilateral measures.

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