Co-operative Model Aims to Bypass Speculation
Catalan housing co-operatives are pushing for a new 'third way' to tackle Barcelona’s acute housing crisis, calling on public administrations to collaborate on a community land trust model that removes property from the speculative market. The initiative, led by the Custòdia association, aims to pool land and separate its ownership from buildings, ensuring long-term affordability. Under the model, Custòdia would retain permanent ownership of land, while housing units are transferred to local co-operatives. This structure is designed to counteract rising land values, the primary driver of housing costs, by preventing land from being traded as a commodity. The approach positions itself between private development and public housing, offering a community-led alternative.
Inspired by European Community Trusts
The Custòdia model draws on established Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in Europe. A report commissioned by La Dinamo Fundació, one of Custòdia’s founding co-operatives, highlights successful partnerships in the UK and Belgium. London CLT uses public grants, community investment, and inclusive zoning policies to sustain operations. In Brussels, the CLT receives annual subsidies and long-term leases on public properties, while Cornwall CLT and Middlemarch CLH access revolving public loan funds for rural developments. These examples underscore the importance of structural alliances with public authorities to maintain affordability. Custòdia now seeks similar support in Catalonia, including access to public land and regulatory adjustments to facilitate land-building ownership separation.
Administrative Hurdles and Funding Gap
Despite growing interest, some officials remain cautious. At a recent colloquium in Cornellà on 21st October 2026, Asier Abaunza, delegate councillor for Urban Planning in Bilbao, expressed concern that co-operative models could allow members to bypass public housing waiting lists. He insisted that access to public land must be fair and equitable, ideally determined by lottery, though he left the door open for co-operatives serving those on waiting lists.
The situation is so urgent and so dramatic that we need the message from administrations, which often say they see it favourably, to translate into concrete actions.
Glòria Rubio, coordinator of activities at La Dinamo, stressed the need for a 'public-co-operative-community agreement' to provide stability and real support. Short-term measures could include dedicated financing lines and regulatory reforms. The project requires approximately €7 million in initial capital to begin acquiring land and building assets without over-leveraging. This would enable a 'snowball effect', aiming for a total asset value of €60 million within ten years. However, the funding target has not yet been met. As a result, full launch is delayed until 2027. Co-operatives are urging administrations to act, including through joint land purchases or direct integration of the Generalitat into the Custòdia framework.
Barcelona’s Severe Affordable Housing Shortfall
The push comes amid a severe shortage of affordable housing in Catalonia. According to the Sindicatura de Comptes de Catalunya’s audit of the Agència de l’Habitatge de Catalunya, only around 2% of housing in the Barcelona area is protected or affordable. In 2021 and 2022, the agency managed an average of 3,450 housing allocations annually, meeting just 4% of demand from the HPO applicant registry, which averaged 85,600 applicants. Of those allocations, only 275 homes per year, 7.97%, came from the agency’s own stock, addressing just 0.32% of total demand. This chronic undersupply reinforces the urgency behind alternative models like Custòdia’s, which aim to stabilise access and prevent displacement through community governance and permanent affordability safeguards.
Sources: El Periódico, Sindicatura de Comptes de Catalunya.
