Catalonia plans to nationalize vacant apartments and earmark them for social rent, with the government advancing the process to preserve a large portion of homes. The plan targets 14 municipalities, under Law 4/2016, which authorizes action when there is strong and verified demand from families on waiting lists during emergencies.
The State anticipates the situation could worsen when eviction moratoriums lapse and ground-use requirements become active. To this end, authorities rely on contracts among the 14 municipalities and the regional housing agency to initiate expropriation procedures for 189 flats. Juli Fernàndez, head of Territory, stated that the province will proceed with the available tools to deliver solutions for housing through this program. It aims to build a stock of homes that can be released for public use.
Between 50 and 70 percent of cases show progress
Government calculations estimate that owners of vacant flats will be able to be expropriated in approximately 50 to 70 cases, based on the classification of empty properties for two years without a tenant. Verification relies on Municipal Registry data, energy consumption, and a final check to confirm that no one resides in the property.
Initial steps require owners to rent or justify their plans within one month. If no market placement is shown, Catalan law gives three months to reach a price agreement. If agreement cannot be reached, expropriation proceeds at a price equal to the cadastral value.
All homes included in the plan will be activated as housing stock, and while some may hold residency permits, it is possible that a few could be considered occupied. If needed, conditions such as painting and reasonable price setting will be assessed.
Election-time measures
Incasol will allocate an initial five million euros to acquire apartments that will later be managed by the Generalitat’s public housing program. In a post-Government session, Fernàndez described the move as an electoral measure to address housing needs and indicated the program would open for applications as soon as it is implemented.
Apartment blocks are shown as visible reminders of the effort — a visual cue that the plan seeks to address urgent housing needs for those on waiting lists and to encourage collaborative agreements with Generalitat. Public housing will be available on site for groups in need.
The 14 municipalities involved include Cornellà de Llobregat, Figueres, Lloret de Mar, Mataró, Mollet del Vallès, Reus, Roda de Berà, Rubí, Salt, Tarragona, Valls, Vic, Viladecans, and Vilanova i la Geltrú. The distribution of the 189 properties will be determined based on local conditions and needs, with the process beginning in the selected areas.
31,918 empty houses
These 14 municipalities sit within a larger pool of 45 municipalities reporting significant demand. Authorities see this as a broader signal to mobilize the market and urge owners and local agencies to cooperate in identifying and addressing empty housing.
Updated data from l’Habitatge Agency in Catalonia indicate that 31,918 empty homes are registered, with many owned by large investors due to foreclosures or loan terms. The aim is to transform idle property into available housing for those in need.
Seven months of paperwork
With governmental approval, the expropriation process is set in motion, with Territori estimating a first wave of results within about seven months and potential initial benefits as soon as early 2024. As with housing matters, final outcomes may face legal challenges from affected parties.
Currently, Catalonia reports 1,800 families awaiting allocation, including cases in Barcelona, highlighting the ongoing demand for suitable housing solutions.
The policy aims to ease the strain on vulnerable households and encourage more municipalities to sign agreements with the Generalitat. The resulting rent-free units will be offered to public groups in need.
The plan includes a list of 14 municipalities where expropriation will proceed, though the exact distribution of the 189 properties remains to be confirmed as the process unfolds locally.
This effort reflects a broader objective to identify and address housing vacancies while coordinating with regional authorities to accelerate the provision of affordable housing for families in crisis.
Notes: The described steps reflect the administrative framework and anticipated timeline, with final details to be confirmed by local authorities and housing agencies. Attribution: Catalan Government housing strategy overview, 2024.