Barcelona's city council has approved the creation of a commission to examine ways to prevent speculative housing purchases. The initiative, led by ERC and backed by the PSC, aims to restrict acquisitions of homes not intended for personal residence. The Comuns abstained, tying their support for the 2026 budget to a more immediate ban.
Barcelona's city council will examine over the coming months how to prevent speculative housing purchases, including potentially banning them. The Ecology, Urban Planning, and Mobility commission approved the measure on Tuesday with votes from ERC, the proposal's initiator, and the PSC, alongside abstentions from Junts and the Comuns.
Jaume Collboni's municipal government must now create, within three months, a non-permanent study commission to analyze this regulation, aimed at limiting the sale of homes whose purpose is not the new owner's residence.
The debate over banning speculative housing purchases—for renting or reselling at a higher price—has gained traction in Catalonia following a report from the Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PEMB), presented on October 10. The study proposes regulating such purchases exceptionally and temporarily, linked to tense areas under the Housing Law, which sets rent caps.
Since then, parties like the Comuns, ERC, and CUP have pushed for its implementation. At the regional level, President Salvador Illa has committed to studying it, and the Comuns have filed a bill in Parliament to restrict second-home purchases for investment purposes.
In Barcelona, the Comuns have made its rollout a condition for approving the 2026 budget. In the latest municipal plenary, they passed a motion, with PSC and ERC votes, urging the government to develop “the necessary urban planning instruments” within six months.
The Comuns abstained in this vote, arguing the commission delays an urgent proposal, according to councilor Lucía Martín. Eva Baró of ERC defended the need to compare international experiences, such as in Amsterdam, and find the best regulatory fit. Jordi Valls, deputy mayor and PSC housing head, stated the debate is “important” and “here to stay”.