> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Builder Chief: Build Upwards to Solve Housing Crisis - URL: https://barna.news/builder-chief-build-upwards-to-solve/ - Published: 2026-11-07T12:16:59.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-07T14:30:08.000Z - Description: Xavier Vilajoana says Barcelona must grow vertically to meet housing demand, citing delays in permits and construction. - Author: Barna.News News Desk - Tags: Housing ## "Only Option is to Grow Upwards" Xavier Vilajoana, president of the Association of Developers and Builders of Spain (APCE) and its Catalan delegation, has called for Barcelona to build upwards in response to the city’s housing emergency. Speaking at the Hotel Metrópoli in an interview hosted by Metrópoli with journalist Carlos Losada, he argued that with most people wanting to live in the city and no available land, vertical expansion is the only viable solution. "If there is a housing emergency and the majority want to live in Barcelona, the only option left is to grow upwards," Vilajoana said. ## Construction Delays Hit 4.5 Years Vilajoana highlighted that bureaucratic delays are preventing faster housing delivery. Obtaining a municipal building licence can take between five and 20 months, depending on the local authority’s workload. This is followed by 15 to 24 months of construction and another three to four months for post-construction procedures. "It takes between two and a half and four and a half years to bring a home to market; we cannot afford that in the 21st century," he stated. --- ## 30% Social Housing Rule Under Review Barcelona City Council is working to make its 30% social housing requirement more effective in new developments and major renovations. The rule, approved in 2018, has so far resulted in only 93 homes being added to the housing stock, with just eight completed. The Council aims to maintain the 30% reserve while offering private developers new ways to comply, such as transferring protected units to other plots or assigning their construction to social promoters. Currently, the Council has 5,000 homes in various stages of development, which will deliver over 3,300 units under this mandate. These include projects led by the Municipal Institute of Housing and Renovation (IMHAB) and partnerships with non-profits, HMB and Incasòl. ## Report Warns of Risks to Tenants A 2024 report by IDRA Barcelona Urban Research Institute, in collaboration with UPF and UOC, warns that changes to the 30% rule could put 62,756 tenant households in 3,909 buildings at risk of eviction. It also estimates that up to 18,827 future social housing units could be lost, increasing gentrification and segregation. The report notes that the initial pace of social housing creation in Barcelona is higher than in Paris, where a similar policy has operated for 18 years, and disputes claims that construction has halted. ## Political Gridlock Blamed for Stalled Reforms Vilajoana criticised the lack of political consensus on urgent reforms, particularly to the Land Law, which has remained unchanged for a decade. He said legal uncertainty is deterring investment and leaving both public and private land undeveloped. "There is paralysis due to legal uncertainty, and a lack of political will to change laws that have been blocked for ten years," he insisted. He also dismissed the mayor’s "right to stay" policy as an electoral slogan, arguing it is impossible to accommodate everyone in the city. ## Annual Output Falls Short of Household Growth With annual housing production in Catalonia stagnating at around 15,000 units, supply is not keeping pace with the formation of new households. Vilajoana stressed that even if construction speeds up immediately, years of underproduction mean sustained public-private collaboration will be needed to ensure future generations can access housing. --- *Sources:* [*Metrópoli*](https://metropoliabierta.elespanol.com/quien-hace-barcelona/20261107/xavier-vilajoana-emergencia-habitacional-mayoria-quiere-vivir-barcelona-solo-queda-opcion-crecer-arriba/1003742809484%5F0.html?ref=barna.news)*,* [*Ajuntament de Barcelona*](https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/en/tema/housing/new-measures-to-tackle-the-housing-crisis-and-increase-housing-supply%5F1413347.html?ref=barna.news)*,* [*idrabcn.com*](https://idrabcn.com/en/publications/the-challenge-of-social-housing/?ref=barna.news)*.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [€495m for 5,000 Public Homes in Catalonia](https://barna.news/495m-for-5-000-public-homes-in-catalonia/) - [Illa Signs Deals for 1,529 Affordable Homes](https://barna.news/illa-signs-deals-for-1-529-affordable/) - [Catalonia pushes building reuse to boost housing](https://barna.news/catalonia-pushes-building-reuse-to/) - [Genivs presents affordable housing model at global summit](https://barna.news/genivs-presents-affordable-housing/)