El Prat's governing parties, Comuns and PSC, together with ERC, have rejected a motion from Estimem el Prat that sought to review the 2,700 euro monthly maximum fee set for some municipal places at the new Josefa Puigpelat elderly care residence. The proposal was presented by Estimem el Prat spokesperson Gerard Valverde, who argued that the current price could exclude local families from a publicly backed service.

For households in El Prat with older relatives due to need residential care, the decision means the pricing model approved by the council remains in place as the facility moves towards opening in October 2026. According to the approved model, the residence will have 45 municipal places with a maximum monthly cost of 2,700 euros, alongside 90 places funded through agreements with the Generalitat, the Catalan government, whose prices are set separately.

"Now we must ensure that no older person in El Prat is excluded for economic reasons," Valverde said in the motion announcement published before the vote.

Estimem el Prat had asked the council to revise the ordinance approved this year and the economic model behind it, with the aim of reducing fees and introducing a more progressive payment system based on each user's financial means. The group said that, although reductions and discounts exist, the reference price remains too high for many households in the municipality.

The residence model approved by the council

According to the municipal framework approved in March, Josefa Puigpelat, also known as Teresina, will provide 135 residential places, 30 day centre places and a dining service for older people. The council said one third of the residential places will be reserved exclusively for people from El Prat.

Vilapress reported after that March plenary session that the residence will be run through delegated management by an accredited social entity, while the council retains full public oversight of the service. In the event of a tie between bidders, priority would go to non-profit organisations.

  • 135 residential places in total
  • 45 municipal places, with a maximum fee of 2,700 euros a month
  • 90 places arranged with the Generalitat, with tariffs set by the Catalan administration
  • 30 day centre places
  • Opening planned for October 2026, according to Estimem el Prat's motion text

The council's previously approved pricing framework states that the municipal maximum can be adjusted according to a resident's income and level of dependency. That point has been central to the dispute. Estimem el Prat says the ceiling is still too high, while the previously approved municipal model described the prices as comparable with those in the surrounding area.

What Estimem el Prat asked for

The motion rejected by Comuns, PSC and ERC was brought by Estimem el Prat, not by the governing team. In its proposal, the local group said the new residence is a necessary and long-awaited facility, but argued that public policy should guarantee access to essential care, particularly for older residents.

"Although there are mechanisms for reductions and discounts, the reference price is still too high and the council should explore formulas to make it more affordable," Estimem el Prat said in the text publicised before the plenary meeting.

For families in El Prat, the immediate effect is that there is no announced change to the approved fees before the residence opens. Households seeking a municipal place at Josefa Puigpelat will still need to rely on the current tariff structure and any income-based adjustments already предусмотрen in the approved system.

The residence works began in El Prat under the municipal project for a new elderly care home, and the facility has been presented by the council as one of the few in Catalonia built directly by a local authority. The official municipal site has said the new home is a municipal residence for older people, and the March plenary approved the basis for its management, service structure and tariffs.

Primary sources: elprat.cat, elprat.cat. Reported by Source Text Link, Redacción, Vilapress, metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, elprat.digital, periodicdelta.cat, lapremsadelbaix.es, barna.news, Arnau Raimundo, Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life.