With two weeks to go until the strike for housing access, the homeowners' union Som Habitatge has presented fifteen proposals to resolve the serious crisis the country is experiencing. Among others, the association, which defines itself as "the voice of the small owner", has demanded that one must own at least 100 properties to be considered a large holder.

In Catalonia, "working is not enough" for 28.3% of employed people who live in rented housing, and who see how, after paying the monthly rent, they fall below the poverty line. Faced with the serious housing crisis, Oxfam Intermón notes that the costs of having a place to live exacerbate working poverty, in a study published this Tuesday.

Many small landlords, who make up the largest proportion of the housing market, are skeptical about the decree approved by the Spanish government, which faces a vote in Congress this Friday. Of the two housing decrees, the one including measures for the protection of vulnerable people was, in principle, the one that seemed most likely to move forward, especially after the 'yes' announced by Podemos and the PNV. But the rejection by Junts —which is asking the Spanish government to withdraw it or they will vote against it— has disrupted the possibility of it passing. The second one, which incorporates automatic lease extensions and compensation for tenants, had no chance, because the PNV will also vote against it.

The first housing decree –the anti-eviction decree– includes some measures that are accompanied by compensation and bonuses for landlords and tenants. In fact, this has been and is one of the points of contention in the negotiation with Junts, especially regarding aid to landlords. The economic report of the decree, to which ARA has had access, puts figures to the impact of some of these measures, while others are not quantified. Only between tax deductions and bonuses, the Ministry of Economy estimates a cost of 1.28 billion euros to the public coffers, as government sources have indicated to the ACN.

Catalonia now has double the forests it had in the 1950s – the forest area has gone from 35% of the territory to almost 65% – and the fires of recent weeks — the last one this Friday in Collserola — and a legislative plot twist have strongly reopened a debate that already existed in the sector: on whom should the responsibility fall – and in whose name should the bill go – for maintenance? Currently, only 30% of forests are managed, meaning that active work is being done on them, such as logging, undergrowth clearing, or new plantings. In this context, a small change in a discreet article has revolutionized the sector. As the ARA explained a few months ago, Royal Decree-Law 21/2025, which obliged owners to maintain the land in condition and empowered the administration to do so at a cost – meaning, passing the bill to the owner – mutated during the parliamentary process and went from "obliging" to simply requesting "collaboration." A direct request from the forestry sector.

The Association of Rental Property Owners (Asval) announced on Tuesday the creation of a permanent commission in Catalonia. During the presentation, Asval asserted that they need greater legal certainty and a more ""Clear, stable, and predictable." In fact, the association's new delegate in Catalonia, Carlos Muñoz, has asserted that this lack of legal certainty is what, in many cases, leads to "conflict" between landlords and tenants. "Landlords and tenants share a common interest: that the system works," Muñoz affirmed. "Without landlords, there is no supply; without tenants, there is no one to request housing."

The housing crisis—which isn't unique to us—is so acute and so present in the consciousness and lived experience of Catalans that there's no doubt it will be resolved, since, paradoxically, it's a very solvable problem. The challenge is to ensure the availability of decent housing for a population that continues to grow, but not indefinitely. It's also about providing for the visitors and temporary residents that a dynamic economy demands, while avoiding a disproportionate number of empty homes. It can be done.