Why Barcelona Bought the Building That Symbolizes Its Housing Crisis
After months of protests, the city stepped in to buy an apartment block where tenants faced eviction. But anger over high rents and real estate speculation continues.
Banners protest the potential conversion of Casa Orsola to medium-term rentals on February 4, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
Photographer: Cesc Maymo/Getty Images EuropeOn Feb. 7, city leaders in Barcelona revealed their latest gambit to prevent real estate speculators from snapping up affordable apartments and converting them into medium-term rentals that escape current rent controls: The city partnered with a local affordable housing provider to purchase a landmark building and prevent its tenants from being evicted.
That’s a strategy that other European cities have also experimented with in their efforts to rein in gentrification, most notably in Berlin. So far, however, reactions to Barcelona’s move have been mixed; some housing activists celebrated the city’s takeover as a victory, while renters’ associations and property owners alike have expressed reservations. 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.