Housing Emergency Fund to Prevent Evictions

The Catalan government has approved a new Housing Emergency Fund with an initial endowment of €25 million to prevent evictions among people in extreme vulnerability. Administered by the Generalitat, the fund will be used to purchase homes when all other support avenues, such as mediation, social rent, and emergency housing, have been exhausted, ensuring residents do not lose their homes. The measure, announced by President Salvador Illa during the general policy debate in the Parliament of Catalonia, is expandable through contributions from other public bodies, banks, and insurance companies.

Joint Home Ownership for Over-40s

A new Joint Housing Purchase programme will launch in January 2027 with €100 million in initial funding, aimed at people over 40 with stable incomes who struggle to secure mortgages. Under the scheme, the Generalitat will co-own properties with buyers, based on temporary ownership rules in the Catalan Civil Code (Articles 547.1–547.10). For buyers aged 40 to 55, the Generalitat will cover 50% of the property price, granting 50 years of use. Those aged 56 and over will see the administration cover 60%, with 40 years of use. At the end of the term, the property returns to the public housing stock. Buyers can sell the remaining term without permission and may pass the property to heirs. The Generalitat retains a right of first refusal if the property is sold and may buy back its share at any time.

This is a model that expands access without building new homes, while ensuring long-term social housing.

Expanded Emancipation Loans

The Government is consolidating and expanding its Emancipation Loans, which have already supported over 2,700 young people in the first year. Loans of up to €50,000 at 0% interest, issued by the Institut Català de Finances (ICF), now cover down payments for protected housing and rehabilitation works needed for a habitability certificate. Repayment begins only after the mortgage is settled, with five years to repay. The scheme targets 18–40 year olds registered in Catalonia buying their first home. In return, the property remains protected housing in perpetuity, resalable only at purchase price plus CPI and renovation costs.

Long-Term Housing Strategy

These measures are part of a broader strategy launched in 2024 to expand protected housing by 50,000 units in five years. The Government has already secured nearly 30,000 potential homes through its Land Reserve mechanism and is advancing urban planning reforms to accelerate construction. Since 2024, rental prices in stressed market areas like Barcelona have fallen by 4.7%, while house prices in Catalonia have risen below the national average. The Government aims to maintain regulated, accessible housing as a fundamental right.

Sources: Govern de Catalunya, eleconomista.es, El Periódico.