The Sabadell Government, led by First Deputy Mayor and Housing Councillor, Eloi Cortés, aims to facilitate access to property ownership at affordable prices. These properties will be permanently subject to HPO limitations. Cortés highlighted that this model will serve as a "social elevator" for the most vulnerable citizens, recalling the success of Vimusa promotions in the 1980s and 1990s.
The plan commits to developing 531 public flats with an estimated investment of 100 million euros. The first major mixed development (sale and social rental) will be a 150-unit building in Torre-romeu. Other previously announced social rental developments will be consolidated in Can Gambús (173), Roureda (130), Artèxtil (28), and Tetuan street (20).
The council intends to force empty flats onto the rental market. Therefore, unused properties must pay a 50% increase in Property Tax (IBI) starting in 2027. Cortés stated that this measure is a "pressure mechanism" and the City Council will create a registry of empty homes based on electricity and water consumption data.
“"The point is not to know which homes are empty; we want them to stop being empty and to be mobilized within the market."
Another key novelty is the elimination of mandatory parking reserves in new HPO developments, as costs (up to two million euros for underground parking) are "unaffordable" in small projects. In the long term, the plan foresees potential for 2,111 additional homes, mainly in the Cifuentes sector.
Furthermore, the City Council will seek private collaboration to allow "growing in height" in neighborhoods like Centre, Creu Alta, and Gràcia. Cortés also emphasized the need to invest in the rehabilitation of the existing housing stock, as 90% of Sabadell homes have an energy rating of E or lower.
