What do we do with the housing crisis?
Few issues generate as much unanimity today as the difficulty in accessing housing. It's a complaint that comes up on the street, at family meals, or at get-togethers with friends, and one that was confirmed this summer. the latest CEO barometerSince last year, it has been the main concern in Catalonia, ahead of discontent with politics, immigration, and insecurity. And nine out of ten people say that finding a home that suits their needs is a very difficult task.
The housing market today is as expensive as it is precarious. For most people, there are no options to adapt their home to each stage of their life: moving out, growing into a larger apartment, or moving to a better-connected location. Experts agree on the same assessment: we have a supply problemThere's a housing shortage right in the areas where people want to live, where there are jobs and services. The key question is: how many are missing?
According to the Bank of Spain, the imbalance in the residential market was between 400,000 and 450,000 homes between 2022 and 2024 alone, concentrated mainly in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Malaga. Some experts, such as sociologist Jorge Galindo, raise the figure to three million to move from scarcity to real abundance. Given these magnitudes, institutional plans seem modest: the Recovery Plan aims to increase renovations tenfold by 2030, and the Generalitat promises 50,000 new public housing units in the same decadeBut between needs and promises, there's a jumble of numbers, and the problem isn't just counting homes on paper, but actually getting them built. The reality is that bureaucratic hurdles, the lack of public-private collaboration, the absence of political consensus, and the defense of speculative interests continue to act as major obstacles to a good that should be a basic necessity.
In addition to the limited housing stock available, it is inaccessible to an ever-increasing segment of the population. According to the INE (National Institute of Statistics and Census), the price of second-hand housing has reached an all-time high in 2025, with a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, and it has already surpassed the 2007 bubble levels. New construction also offers no alternative: In the last decade it has become more than 50% more expensive, reaching historic highs. Recent rate cuts have reactivated the signing of mortgagesBut cheaper credit has not improved accessibility: it has pushed prices up even further. Renting, far from being a solution, has increased by cities like Barcelona by almost 30% over the last decade.
Regular prices can relieve, but it won't solve a market that pushes out the majority. It's necessary to create real opportunities for those who can't access them, with a public and affordable market that's currently in Spain. It represents only 3%, far from the 9% in Europe or the 30% in the Netherlands.Housing cannot be just a patrimonial asset in the hands of a few: it is a basic right and the gateway to life's opportunities. Without decent housing, it is impossible to talk about life plans, equal opportunities, or a more productive and cohesive economy. Housing is the roof of society. And it is falling on us.