Spain is facing yet another scandal, this time over the government’s attempt to draw attention to the issue of housing affordability for young people. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda decided to launch an unconventional advertising campaign, but the outcome was far from what officials had hoped for.
A video published on official channels transported viewers to the year 2055. In it, people aged forty to seventy are still living together in the same apartment, sharing habits and daily routines as if they were still in their twenties. The creators tried to inject humor by showing the characters leaving their belongings in the bathroom for decades and being unable to afford a place of their own. The video concluded with a call to remember Article 47 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to decent housing, along with assurances that the government is working to address the issue.
However, the public saw this approach as mocking the real challenges young people face when searching for housing. The campaign sparked heated debate on social media, with many accusing the ministry of being disrespectful and out of touch. Responding to the wave of criticism, the agency rushed to delete the original video and replace it with a shorter version featuring only the official message, omitting the controversial scenes.
It is known that this campaign is part of a major contract worth over 663,000 euros signed with the advertising agency Sra. Rushmore SA. The agreement calls for several more information campaigns focused on rental issues, support programs for young renters, and new state guarantees for first-time homebuyers.
Interestingly, despite its ambitious plans, the Ministry of Housing in 2024 utilized only a small portion of European funding allocated to it. Out of more than three billion euros, only about 14.5% was spent, with the majority of the budget remaining unused. This raised further questions about the agency’s effectiveness and its ability to truly help those in need of housing.
The advertising scandal has sparked further debate about whether government initiatives meet public expectations and whether they can actually bring change to the real estate market.
