Urgent Call Amid Rising Temperatures
Dani Sirera, leader of the People's Party (PP) in Barcelona City Council, has urged Mayor Jaume Collboni to implement an extraordinary plan to air-condition all public nursing homes in the city. The demand comes as summer temperatures remain high and with forecasts predicting further heatwaves in the coming weeks. Sirera highlighted the vulnerability of elderly residents, many of whom suffer from chronic health conditions that make them particularly susceptible to heat-related illness. He called on the city administration to move beyond what he described as "generic recommendations" and take concrete, immediate steps to ensure safe indoor temperatures across all municipal care facilities.
New Residences Announced, But Cooling Not Addressed
This push follows a recent agreement between Barcelona City Council and the Catalan government to build four new elderly residences by the end of the current municipal term in 2031. The centres will be located in Sant Andreu, Esquerra de l'Eixample, Sants-Montjuïc and Glòries, adding nearly 500 residential places and around 30 day-care spots per site (en.ara.cat). While welcoming the expansion, Sirera stressed that existing homes must be made safe now. Over 15,000 dependent elderly people are currently on waiting lists for public residential care in Catalonia, with the highest pressure in the Barcelona metropolitan area (europapress.es).
We cannot wait years for better infrastructure while our elders suffer each summer,
Sirera said, referencing previous calls made in August 2025 for guaranteed climate control in municipal facilities (europapress.es).
Political Context and Municipal Priorities
Sirera, confirmed as the PP’s candidate for mayor in the 2027 municipal elections (totbarcelona.cat), framed the issue as one of dignity and public duty. His call aligns with broader party messaging focused on urban liveability, safety and administrative efficiency. The current administration, led by Collboni, has prioritised expanding social housing and care infrastructure, citing a 15-year gap in state investment in elderly residences (europapress.es). However, no timeline or funding plan has been published specifically for retrofitting air conditioning into existing buildings. Residents and care workers can monitor official updates via the Barcelona City Council website.
Reported by en.ara.cat, elpais.com, europapress.es, totbarcelona.cat, infobae.com, elconfidencial.com, PRESSDIGITAL, CatalunyaPress.es, abc.es, Europa Press Barcelona.
