The promotion and development of affordable housing

The difficulty in accessing and maintaining decent and affordable housing is one of the factors contributing to inequality in Catalonia. Therefore, with the aim of facilitating access to housing, the Catalan government has created the 50,000 Homes PlanTo create 50,000 new public and affordable housing units by 2030 using public land and in collaboration with local councils, reserving 25% for young people with direct aid and emancipation funds.

The ARA, in collaboration with the Government of Catalonia, has organized a series of debates on the housing emergency and the public policies that can help solve the problem. On December 18, journalist Laura López moderated the panel. The promotion and development of affordable housing in Catalonia, in which Xavier Mauri, an expert in social housing, and Alejandro Caamaño, a sociologist and political scientist specializing in urban studies and author ofThe right to housing. Towards an inclusive and sustainable approach to the housing crisis (Catarata, 2025).

Affordable Housing

Given the reality that the private housing market is failing to meet housing needs, the concept of affordable housing is being developed. Previously known as social housing, this term has evolved over time to provide access to homeownership at capped prices. This affordable housing is designed for large segments of the population who cannot afford to buy or rent and require affordable housing. Traditionally, housing policy, in addition to addressing housing access problems, fostered economic activity, but experts believe this is no longer possible. "If we look at countries where 30% of the housing stock is social or affordable, structural policies are needed that have not been implemented until now," said Caamaño, who asserted that social housing must be a solid, structural component, combined more robustly with other emergency policies. Experts agreed that the housing problem is complex and cannot be solved with a single instrument. Mauri recalled that public infrastructure is considered the fifth pillar of the welfare state. Just as no one doubts that healthcare or education are a right for everyone, even though they involve a financial cost, "housing has not yet entered this logic, but it is a very serious problem that will not solve itself."

Caamaño explained that housing is a social right that must be guaranteed at all times, hence the need to shift towards affordable housing, to guarantee this right and reverse the current crisis: "We need various tools. One of them is that between 15% and 20% of public land should be designated as housing that complies with existing regulations." Mauri added that regulations and measures should be promoted so that people who own a home they no longer need can use it in a more socially responsible way. For social housing experts, many instruments are necessary, which must be combined and promoted, and all of them require resources: "Without a regulatory and budgetary push, the reality will not change."

Innovative solutions

One of the most important housing management models is Vienna's, where 60% of the housing stock is publicly owned. Focusing on Spain, Caamaño emphasized the excessive reliance on new construction and the need to involve small property owners to foster social cohesion within communities and create mixed-use developments with incentives for developers to help private projects maintain control over social use. Mauri, for his part, advocated for the public sector to seek partnerships with non-profit entities—foundations, cooperatives, or even private operators—"but in any case, there must be public oversight of pricing and management quality." They also proposed that real estate stock such as offices, facilities, or vacant land be repurposed for housing; that efforts be made to increase the density of sparsely populated areas; that existing housing stock be purchased; and that public-social collaboration be established. that the role of non-public operators be made relevant; that tripartite initiatives—called Community Land Trusts—between the public administration, social entities, and the community be implemented, so as not to depend solely on political will; and that funds be purchased and existing stock reused. "If we don't achieve a minimum of 15% public housing, we will hardly be able to reverse the housing crisis or its market-driven logic." For Caamaño, when talking about public policies, the key word is intersectionality"Policies must take into account the diverse needs and circumstances of individuals." Xavier Mauri also emphasized the importance of considering social diversity and promoting affordable housing that offers a variety of housing options within the same buildings: "We have an opportunity to begin building a new, more socially conscious model that takes diversity into account," he concluded.