Junts may seek to scrap Barcelona's 30% housing rule

Jordi Martí says Junts will consider abolishing Barcelona's affordable-housing requirement if councillors cannot agree a reform before the next municipal term.

Brandon Watea · 21 Sep 2026 · 2 min read

Junts per Catalunya may seek to abolish Barcelona's rule requiring 30% of qualifying new developments and major refurbishments to be set aside for affordable housing, its City Council leader Jordi Martí has said.

The rule applies to new-build schemes and major refurbishments exceeding 600 square metres. For Barcelona residents seeking below-market housing, its possible removal would end the requirement for developers to reserve part of those projects for protected homes.

Martí, who is expected to stand as a mayoral candidate in the 2027 municipal elections, said reform remained his preferred option. But he told Betevé's Bon dia programme that Junts would consider scrapping the measure if no agreement could be reached.

“It is not an ideological issue, but one of practicality.”

Reform talks have been shelved

According to Metrópoli Abierta, citing City Council sources this summer, the requirement has produced 34 protected homes in its eight years in force: 23 in new developments and 11 through major refurbishments.

The 30% requirement covers qualifying new construction projects.
It also applies to major refurbishments of more than 600 square metres.
City Council sources told Metrópoli Abierta that 34 protected homes had resulted from the rule over eight years.

The Socialist Party of Catalonia, or PSC, which leads Barcelona City Council, and Junts have negotiated since 2023 over making the rule more flexible. They have not agreed how to do so.

Mayor Jaume Collboni has said the reform will be left until the next municipal term. At the City Council plenary session in July 2026, Junts councillor Damià Calvet accused the municipal government of not seeking an agreement, while deputy mayor Laia Bonet said the council had done everything possible to secure a reform.

Any change or repeal would require a future City Council agreement. Residents can follow plenary sessions, published motions and housing-policy announcements through the Ajuntament de Barcelona's public information channels.

Reported by metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life.