More than half of households in city centers make 'extra efforts' to pay rent

More than half of the households in the city centers of Catalan cities make an "extra effort" to pay the rent, according to a report by the Bank of Spain.   

The report also shows that the price per square meter for rental properties will increase by 33% between 2015 and 2022.   

The "soft" regulation and high rentability of short-term rentals are reducing the supply of housing, the report says.   

In fact, 40% of all rental properties in Barcelona are short-term rentals, according to the study.   

The districts with the highest increase are Ciutat Vella, Eixample and Gàcia.

To find a solution, the national central bank rejected "isolated short-term measures", claiming that more supply is needed to solve the problem.   

One of the problems that contribute to the low supply of rental properties is the "modest production" of rental social housing.   

The bank warns that the "effort" to "substantially" increase the supply of social housing will be significant.   

Catalan government grants €65m in subsidies 

On Wednesday it was announced that the Catalan government has granted €65 million in subsidies that will benefit more than 27,000 people.

According to the government, all those under the age of 35 who have applied for the subsidy and meet the requirements will be able to receive it in the coming days.

The subsidies are intended for young people who are not in imminent risk of eviction, but who need a subsidy to continue living in their homes.

The maximum amount of the subsidy is €250 per month, and to obtain it, officials will take into account how much of the salary is used to pay the rent.

The news comes a few days after Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez announced the allocation of €200 million in rent subsidies for young people.

However, the measure was rejected by the Tenants' Union, which called for a demonstration in Barcelona on November 23 to demand that rents be halved. If not, they said, they would go on a "rent strike.