The Barcelona Chair of Housing Studies (CBEH), established in 2022, presented its research agenda this Monday at the College of Journalists of Catalonia, outlining its role in strengthening public housing policy through academic collaboration. The initiative unites nearly 80 researchers from the University of Barcelona (UB), Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), working alongside the Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Co-directors Montserrat Pareja-Eastaway and Juli Ponce from UB, David Hernández Falagán from UPC, and Josep Ferrer Riba from UPF highlighted the Chair’s function as a multidisciplinary bridge between academia and public administration. 'The strength of the Chair is to bring together the knowledge of four universities and researchers from different disciplines,' said Pareja-Eastaway. 'This capability allows us to study housing by relating the market, regulation, urban transformations, and people's living conditions.'

Transdisciplinary Research Network

The CBEH integrates specialists in law, economics, sociology, architecture, urban planning, public health, and environmental psychology. Affiliated research groups include CRIT, focusing on urban transformation; Terripoc, on territory and inequalities; Qurbis, on housing and urban regeneration; Greds-Emconet, on health inequalities; GREL, on local governance; and PsicoSAO, on residential environments. This network enables analysis of how housing access intersects with demographic shifts, segregation, and wellbeing.

Policy Priorities and Innovation

Research lines include the social function of property, regulation of tourist lets and rental prices, social housing financing models, and administrative simplification in urban planning. The Chair also explores behavioural science tools to encourage vacant property use, drawing on European case studies. These proposals aim to improve legal certainty and streamline housing procedures.

'Research can help administrations to precisely define problems, compare alternatives, and evaluate decisions. Our role is to provide rigorous and independent knowledge so that housing policies have a more solid foundation,' said Juli Ponce from UB.

The Chair maintains a Joint Monitoring Commission with its partner institutions and collaborates with the Metropolitan Observatory of Housing of Barcelona. Since 2022, it has launched a scholarship programme, published working papers with Georgia State University, and begun a monthly newsletter, Claus d’Habitatge, the fourth issue of which was released in October 2026.

Upcoming International Congress

The second International Congress on Housing and City will take place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd November 2026 at the UPF Barcelona School of Management, carrer de Balmes, 134. Building on the 2025 edition, which drew 250 participants, the event will present research on housing access, market dynamics, and urban policy. The Master's in Housing and City, set to begin in 2025, further extends the Chair’s academic reach.

Sources: Tot Barcelona, upc.edu, rdi.upc.edu, cbeh.cat.