The mayor of Badalona, Xavier Garcia Albiol, participated this Wednesday in the IV Edition of “BCN! Desperta”, a forum organized by Crónica Global, Metrópoli, and El Español. During the panel discussion “The municipal vision of public housing”, Albiol highlighted that Badalona has initiated 370 new public housing units during the current term, after 20 years without any action in this regard.
Albiol explained that in the last two years, three developments totaling 150 new public housing units have been launched, and by the end of the term, there will be 370 new public housing units under construction. He acknowledged that this figure is insufficient to meet citizen needs but considers them necessary first steps after two decades of inactivity.
The mayor emphasized that municipalities alone cannot solve the housing problem and called for legislative changes to expedite construction by private developers. "The private sector must share responsibility in the solution, but we must facilitate their work. We need a legal reform that streamlines procedures; it cannot be that a developer waits two years to start a private development," he indicated.
Regarding the rental market, Garcia Albiol stressed the importance of ensuring legal security for small property owners, who represent 92% of the market's rental properties, to encourage them to offer their homes for rent. He lamented that current Spanish legislation might leave owners unprotected and make it harder for vulnerable families to access housing.
