Jordi Valls: "I don't see the financial sector selling off its housing."

BarcelonaJordi Valls (Manresa, 1960) is the fourth deputy mayor of Barcelona City Council. He added responsibilities for the Economy and Tourism four months ago to Housing. On the shelves in his office, you can see some of the books on the subject he has read since then.

Does Barcelona's housing problem have a solution?

— If a person takes on a responsibility, it means they have solutions. If not, they shouldn't. Another thing is that this is a problem that can't be solved in a year; it requires very important agreements and consistency over time. This government approaches housing as a mission: to ensure that by 2040, at least 15% of the city's housing will be protected.

And how is this done?

— We need to provide clear and decisive answers to several issues: the city's capacity ceiling and density, how we can provide land for more construction, and financing. Meanwhile, there's everything to do with regulation: high-stress areas, tourist apartments, seasonal rentals, the 30% reserve for subsidized housing, and, above all, rent control. We must guarantee the right of Barcelona residents to remain in their city.

How do you achieve that 15% housing budget in a city like Barcelona with limited space?

— First, we must expand all the land we currently have in the city. Second, we must improve our production; our own through the IMHAB, but we must also make land available to third parties. And then there's financing. The public sector is essential to leading the city's housing policy, but it won't do it alone. It's important to incentivize the private sector so it can participate in affordable housing projects.

Is it hard to get him in?

— We're granting building rights so the third sector and also the private sector can build social housing. Now, there's also a segment of the financial sector that says it wants to divest its housing portfolio. I don't applaud that much. At a time when the public sector is clear that this is the great challenge, I don't see the private sector leaving as a good time. Perhaps their balance sheet is improving, but not the city's social balance sheet. During the 2008 financial crisis, the public sector's efforts were very significant.

Do you think they are in debt?

— I don't like to say in debtBut in the housing crisis, everyone is challenged. I understand that some financial institutions are also subject to ECB regulation, which also restricts them, but there is an economic value and a social value. If all we do is measure things in economic terms, the public sector is on its own, and I believe we cannot be alone in this. It's true that we must create conditions for the private sector to enter.

Beyond construction, are there other avenues for housing? Do you have any plans for businesses and offices on mezzanine floors?

— We don't have it immediately on the table. We're studying it, as other cities are doing. We'll also have to discuss some things from an urban planning perspective. How do we streamline the urban planning procedures that exist in a city? What do we do about density? I think the possibility of the city and the metropolitan area increasing in density and offsetting this with the construction of public housing should be put on the table.

Are we talking about building taller buildings in some areas?

— The issue of housing is important enough that we shouldn't be afraid to open certain debates. But the big debate is whether we should turn social housing into a general system within the scope of urban planning. Infrastructures such as ports, waste treatment plants, or water have a planning classification that allows them to be developed very clearly. With social housing, which is also an infrastructure, we must do something similar.

Does the IMHAB have the capacity to manage such a large public park?

— The IMHAB must make a significant leap forward with its human resources, but especially with its structure. We must establish it with a production line, a public park maintenance line, and another related to community management.

Can they prevent tourist apartments from becoming seasonal rentals when they close in 2028?

— Currently, the EU wants to regulate seasonal rentals, and Parliament is also waiting for regulation. This will give us a bit of an umbrella to prevent this loophole from existing.

So far, you haven't managed to pass any budget through ordinary channels. Will you do so this year?

— We'll try, but we're not going to waste time either. We have elections in a year and a half, and there are political groups currently arguing about who their leader should be. We'll talk to everyone to approve the budget, but if we have to use the vote of confidence, we will.

The Hotel Association says the increase in the tourist tax could put Mobile at risk.

— I don't much like confrontation, but the data is what it is. If the price of a room in Barcelona has grown by 60% in the last 10 years and by about 20 euros in the last two years, the sector also has room here. I would also ask that the word "insurance" not be used. Mobile so cheerfully. I think we're both very interested in the success of the conference scene. We work together and try not to use words that are sometimes inappropriate, nor to jeopardize things that aren't in crisis.

Should the city open more hotels?

— From day one, this government has said we're already at the limit of tourism. Now, the Special Urban Development Plan for Tourist Accommodation (PEUAT)It establishes that some areas of the city still have 4,000 beds. For example, we are very interested in having a hotel in La Sagrera.

Is tourism in Barcelona declining?

— When I see news reports that tourism has dropped by 0.35% and that it's being presented as a tragedy, I don't think it's true. What's the measure of success? Constantly increasing room rates and seeing a 4% to 5% increase each year? I think we need to look for other measures of success, such as finding a balance between tourism and a citizenry that wants to experience tourism more comfortably.

Polls point to the rise of the far right in the plenary session. Are you worried?

— I'm concerned about the far right's manipulation of debates like security and homelessness. And I think they must be confronted. You can't leave these concepts in the hands of the far right, and you must also try to respond to the actual facts. From here on, it's necessary that in the next term, the central forces have the capacity to reach an agreement. The counter to fear is to generate hope, and we generate hope by reaching agreements.

Will the mandate end with an agreement on the steps of the Sagrada Família?

— We'll try. But there's no solution for Gaudí's staircase if there's no solution for housing as well.