Catalan authorities have announced a landmark deal: the regional government has purchased one thousand apartments from InmoCaixa, a subsidiary of CriteriaCaixa, for 87.2 million euros. This initiative aims to expand the region’s public housing stock and improve rental affordability for residents. The apartments are spread across fifteen cities, including Barcelona, Sabadell, Lleida, Tarragona, and other major municipalities.
The deal ensures that current tenants can continue living in their homes under the same conditions. This guarantees stability for families already residing in these apartments and prevents possible evictions. According to the head of government, Salvador Illa, this is the largest purchase of its kind in the history of the autonomy, marking a major step towards reaching the goal of increasing public housing to 15% of the total market share.
Largest deal of the year: key details and scale
Under the signed agreement, the state-owned company Incasòl will acquire 1,064 apartments located in cities such as Barcelona, Cornellà, L’Hospitalet, Mataró, Montornès del Vallès, Sant Just Desvern, Sentmenat, Sitges, Terrassa, Tordera, Olot, Lleida, Tarragona, and Sabadell. This will significantly boost the number of rental homes available in the region.
This year, the Catalan government has already acquired around 2,000 apartments, 1,900 of which came from La Caixa. In October last year, another contract was signed for the purchase of 450 apartments for 30 million euros, along with an additional lot of 214 units. Total investments in deals with InmoCaixa have exceeded 130 million euros.
Future Plans: 50,000 New Apartments by 2030
The purchase from InmoCaixa is part of a large-scale program set to run until 2030. The Catalan authorities plan to build and acquire 50,000 new apartments, investing 4.1 billion euros into the project. According to Salvador Illa, the government will not stop until it achieves this goal and secures affordable housing for as many residents as possible.
There is a strong focus on ensuring that tenants do not lose their homes. The authorities emphasize that all deals with InmoCaixa take the interests of current tenants into account. Since 2021, the company has been gradually reducing its real estate portfolio, prioritizing the sale of apartments to occupants themselves as well as to municipal and regional administrations.
Where Are the New Purchases? A Focus on Social Impact
The apartments acquired under the deal are located across various parts of Catalonia. Among the cities set to receive new public housing units are Barcelona, Cornellà, L’Hospitalet, Mataró, Montornès del Vallès, Sant Just Desvern, Sentmenat, Sitges, Terrassa, Tordera, Olot, Lleida, Tarragona, and Sabadell. This will help distribute affordable housing more evenly throughout the region and ease social tensions in the most densely populated areas.
Officials note that such transactions not only increase the number of available apartments but also strengthen social stability. Tenants gain greater security about their future, while the region receives new tools to address the housing crisis. The Catalan government continues to pursue a policy of expanding public housing, focusing on long-term investment and protecting citizens’ interests.
