A historic victory. Barcelona has witnessed a significant milestone in the fight for social housing. After years of complaints and, finally, a forceful rent strike, the Govern has announced the acquisition of a final package of 1,100 apartments, in addition to those already purchased, to shield a total of close to 2,000 homes (more than 1,700 according to initial sources and more than 1,900 according to the latest updates from the executive) from the former La Caixa Foundation.
This transaction, closed for an average value of 81,954 euros per apartment, guarantees that these properties will become part of the public affordable rental stock on a permanent basis, thus avoiding their privatization.
From evicted to social housing: what a rent strike achieves
The news is a resounding success for the families who lived in these blocks, many of which were built with public money under the social housing regime. The Foundation’s original plan was to let the protected rental period expire, which would have allowed the expulsion of thousands of tenants and the sale of the properties to the highest bidder, aggravating the housing problem in Catalonia.
The victory is largely to the credit of the Sindicat de Llogateres, which has led one of the most important rental strikes in recent years. Since April, 71 families from developments in Sentmenat, Sitges, Banyoles and Palau Solità i Plegamans decided to withhold rent, accumulating more than 250,000 euros in a common deposit as a measure of pressure.
This was not the first time that the neighbors had stood up to the authorities, as since 2020 they had denounced abusive clauses, lack of maintenance and even the improper collection of IBI, taking the company to court on two occasions.
This latest acquisition, which culminated with the purchase of more than a thousand homes , includes apartments in Barcelona, L’Hospitalet, Terrassa, Sabadell, Mataró, Sant Just Desvern, Sentmenat, Sitges, and other municipalities. The pressure has not ceased, as recently neighborhood assemblies in L’Hospitalet, Barcelona, Terrassa and Lleida had approved to extend the strike to December, increasing the number of striking families to a hundred.
Now, the task continues. Despite the celebration, the tenants will meet in assembly to decide the next steps. Key demands, such as the withdrawal of all lawsuits, the renewal of contracts without abusive clauses and at affordable prices, the proper maintenance of the buildings and the return of unduly collected amounts, remain on the table. However, this agreement demonstrates something clear: when tenants organize and keep up the fight, historic victories can be achieved in the defense of the right to housing.