Barcelona City Council has handed over keys to 42 protected rental homes in the Poblenou neighbourhood, in the Sant Martí district, in a scheme promoted with the Fundació Hàbitat3, Coyoacan Invest SL and the Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya, the Catalan Housing Agency. The handover matters for local residents because it adds new below-market rental housing in one of the city districts under the greatest pressure from high housing costs.
According to the Ajuntament, the project brings the number of public housing units delivered in Sant Martí to 348. The development was announced by the council in March 2025 when construction began, with 42 protected rental flats planned on a municipal site in Poblenou.
Rents and flat sizes announced when work began
When Barcelona City Council announced the start of works on 17 March 2025, it said the building would contain 42 protected homes, most with two or three bedrooms, and that the usable floor area would be about 60 to 70 square metres. The council said the scheme formed part of its policy of expanding the public housing stock through partnerships on public land.
Contemporary reporting on the same project said the expected rents started at €464 a month, while later reporting in April 2026 put the range at €428 to €501 a month. The official council material supplied for this article confirms the number of homes and the public partners, but does not set out the final rent list for each flat.
- Homes delivered: 42
- District total after this handover: 348 homes
- Construction start announced: Monday 17 March 2025
- Indicative flat size announced: about 60 to 70 square metres
Who promoted the development
The Ajuntament said the development was promoted jointly with Fundació Hàbitat3, a social housing foundation, Coyoacan Invest SL and the Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya. Reporting linked Coyoacan to businessman Jaume Roures. The land-use formula, described by the council and in contemporaneous coverage in March 2025, involves public land being used for protected housing with private and third-sector participation.
Barcelona City Council said in March 2025 that works were under way on a development of 42 protected homes in the Poblenou neighbourhood.
For residents seeking information on Barcelona's protected housing rules and allocation systems, the official housing portal is Habitatge Barcelona. The Catalan Housing Agency's official information is available from the Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya.
What local residents can check next
People interested in protected housing in Barcelona can check the eligibility rules, application routes and public call procedures through the city's official housing service. In practice, applicants usually need to review the housing register requirements and any open allocation process published through official channels.
- Barcelona housing information and procedures: Habitatge Barcelona
- Catalan housing agency information: Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya
- Official council announcement on the 42-home project: Barcelona City Council press service
The latest confirmed figure from the council is that, with this Poblenou handover, Sant Martí has now reached 348 public housing units delivered.
Primary sources: Ramon, ajuntament.barcelona.cat, barcelona.cat, Ramon, Ramon, Barcelona City Council. Reported by Source Text Link, Gisela Macedo, Barna Diario, Europa Press, Edu Gil, Carla Stavraky, Jordi Subirana, El Periódico, lavanguardia.com, Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life.
