Escape from triumphalism with housing

That access to housing remains almost a utopia for a large part of the population, even though it is recognized as a right under Article 47 of the Constitution, is evident. Buying and selling is difficult, and renting for primary residences is especially expensive, with increases far above salaries and a very limited supply. That's why Catalonia, which had already planned to contain rents received by homeowners during the previous term, was the first to apply the caps in so-called stressed areas, as provided for in the housing law that the PSOE-Sumar coalition government managed to pass almost two years ago.

In this sense, Catalonia is a true testing ground for a measure widely criticized by the opposition to the real estate sector, considering it interventionist and harmful. The latest data, which reveal a 6.4% drop in Barcelona and a 3.7% drop in the country as a whole over the last year, are positive. But we must avoid triumphalism. The truth is that the figures released by the Minister of Housing and the Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez; the Minister of Territorial Policy, Sílvia Paneque; and the Mayor of Barcelona, ​​Jaume Collboni, only reflect part of the reality. In fact, they affect only new contracts, not the average of all current contracts in stressed areas. Specifically, the rentals signed during this period are only in the first 140 municipalities that adopted this measure, not including the other 131 that joined later. It's as if we were looking at a galaxy within a constellation.

The reason is that different realities coexist in the market. One, intended for primary residences, is subject to price caps and, according to central, regional, and municipal governments, is experiencing a period of price containment, which has not led to a reduction in contracts. The other is a market that is not affected by any limits and is characterized by high prices and a growing presence of seasonal rentals. The latter is the route many owners use to avoid limits on the rents they can charge, since these rentals are not subject to the regulations that include price caps. These types of contracts are growing steadily: almost 45% in Catalonia last year, and 40.8% in Barcelona, ​​​​the main attraction for this business.

If the constitutional mandate of the right to housing is truly to be fulfilled, more measures are needed to facilitate access. Some, such as incentivizing public housing, have been included by the Catalan government on its list of priorities. But the challenge deserves greater scope for action. One of the possibilities, the mayor of Barcelona, ​​along with other European municipal leaders, suggested in this newspaper: that spending on social housing not be counted toward the deficit, as is proposed for the Defense Ministry. This issue is already being discussed in Brussels and could contribute to ending the limited public presence in the housing market and boosting access.