Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni faces increasing pressure to utilize the city’s right of first refusal—a mechanism known as tanteig i retracte—to purchase apartment buildings at risk of speculative acquisition. Over the past decade, this tool has allowed the Barcelona City Council to acquire 1,600 apartments, but the current administration now faces mounting demands to intervene in specific properties across the city.
The urgency surrounding these acquisitions has intensified in recent weeks following national-level debates on housing policies in Spain. During the October plenary session, the political group Barcelona en Comú formally requested that the municipal government purchase five buildings where residents face potential displacement: Travessera de Gràcia 156, Sant Agustí 14, the Papallona block on Carrer Llançà, Concòrdia 41, and Ramon Turró 153.
Residents Seek Intervention for 118 Homes
Earlier in the day, residents from five different buildings—Ros de Olano 20, Planeta 11, Mare de Déu de Montserrat 123, and the two addresses at Travessera de Gràcia 156 and 157—staged a public request for the City Council and the Generalitat to intervene. The group, representing 118 neighbors, is seeking to prevent their displacement by what they describe as “speculative buying” operations. Members of the Sindicat de Llogateres and the Sectorial d’Habitatge Cooperatiu de la XES supported the residents’ call for action.
These five buildings are currently on the market, with several real estate funds reportedly showing interest in their acquisition. To counter this, residents are attempting to organize into housing cooperatives. Entities such as Sostre Cívic and la Dinamo have expressed interest in facilitating the purchase of these properties, provided they can secure the necessary financial support from the administration before the end of the year.
City Council Weighs Criteria for Acquisitions
Jordi Valls, the fourth deputy mayor of Barcelona, addressed the demands during the October plenary debate. When asked why the city would prioritize certain buildings over others, Valls maintained that the government is evaluating all properties individually. He emphasized that the city is in contact with the residents and is actively seeking solutions, though he warned against creating “false hope.”
City officials noted that the municipal government cannot acquire every building placed on the market. Acquisitions are guided by a specific ordinance that mandates a “careful examination of each case.” The criteria for prioritizing a purchase include:
- Buildings containing more than 10 housing units.
- Properties with vacant units or residents under forced contract extensions.
- Buildings housing vulnerable groups, such as individuals at risk of social exclusion, the elderly, victims of gender-based violence, or single mothers.
- Properties located in areas with a high risk of gentrification or limited affordable housing alternatives.
- Buildings in poor states of conservation.
Regarding the specific cases of Ros de Olano 20, Planeta 11, and Mare de Déu de Montserrat 123, municipal sources stated that the council is monitoring the situation and remaining in contact with the affected residents, though no concrete commitment to purchase has been confirmed.
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