Barcelona’s Housing Crisis

By Nacho Doce

BARCELONA (Reuters) – A teacher has won a temporary stay of eviction from his rented Barcelona apartment, symbolizing Spain’s housing crisis. Protests against gentrification and over-tourism prompted this action.

Josep Torrent, 49, has lived in his apartment for over twenty years. He, along with other tenants, faced eviction after Lioness Investments acquired the Art Nouveau Casa Orsola building in 2020, leading to non-renewal of rental contracts.

This situation highlights the ongoing rental crisis affecting Barcelona and Spain, posing challenges for the socialist-led government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The country grapples with the clash between tourism reliance and rising rent prices, a consequence of gentrification.

Amid record tourism and migration, Spain sees a historic housing shortage, with only 90,000 new homes built annually, exacerbating the issue for locals wanting to establish households.

Torrent’s eviction has been postponed until February 4, following protests that encircled Casa Orsola with banners declaring: “They will not evict us. Defend Casa Orsola.”

Despite the landlord’s reluctance to collect rent, Torrent has consistently paid. He criticized investors, stating, “Investors buy, expel tenants, and get rich… they create wealth for themselves and distribute misery.”

Lioness Investments clarified they are a limited partnership, not an investment fund, citing legal uncertainties that contribute to tenant stays even post-contract expiration.

Local resident Mayte Jove, 80, expressed concerns over tourist rentals displacing locals, stating that young graduates struggle to leave their parents’ homes due to the housing crisis.