Barcelona to build over 1,800 new affordable homes

Barcelona city council will build more than 1,800 affordable rental homes in Sant Andreu and Marina del Prat Vermell, in Sants-Montjuïc.

The announcement by mayor Jaume Collboni follows an agreement with the Zona Franca Consortium (CZFB), which owns the land.

The Consortium will transfer the plots to the city for 90 years for a "symbolic fee."

In addition, the council will buy the MediaTIC and CreaTIC buildings in the 22@ district from the CZFB for €40 million.

"We have almost doubled the number of homes currently being promoted or built in Barcelona, which are in various stages of planning and development," said the mayor.

The land in Sant Andreu, a former military barracks purchased by the CZFB in 1997, will undergo a shorter urban planning process, with construction expected to begin between 2026 and 2027.

On the other hand, the Marina del Prat Vermell site is in a more "heterogeneous" situation, and its overall construction may take longer.

The city council has not specified when construction will begin in this area near the Port of Barcelona.

In addition to the 185,000 square meters of buildable land, the transferred plots include another 97,000 square meters for facilities for the new residents of these social housing units, which will be "mainly rented and affordable".