A new survey reveals that most people living on Barcelona’s streets have no hope of finding stable housing. The city now faces a surge in chronic homelessness, with rising numbers of foreign nationals and younger people affected.
Barcelona is facing a worsening homelessness crisis, with new data showing that 72% of people living on the city’s streets do not believe they will ever secure stable housing. This figure, drawn from a recent Fundació Arrels survey, highlights a shift toward chronic homelessness and signals growing barriers to escaping life on the street.
According to the foundation, the number of people sleeping rough in Barcelona has climbed to around 2,000—a 43% increase compared to 2023. The majority are men, but the population is increasingly diverse in age and background. Most are between 36 and 56 years old, yet the average age has dropped from 45 to 42, reflecting a rise in younger individuals falling into homelessness while older residents remain trapped in long-term precariousness.
Foreign nationals now make up nearly 72% of the city’s homeless, well above the Catalonia and Spain averages of about 54%. Many of these individuals are from outside the European Union, a trend that Fundació Arrels attributes in part to Barcelona’s status as a global city. Economic hardship is the main driver for migration, cited by 51% of respondents, while 14% left their countries due to conflict and 1.6% because of sexual discrimination. The survey also notes that 1.2% of those on the streets are trans women, and 1.3% do not identify with any gender.
The main triggers for homelessness in Barcelona remain the loss of housing (18%) and job loss (16%). Among those forced to leave their homes, 26.8% had been renting, and 17.7% were staying with friends or family. Fundació Arrels points to the rental market as a key factor in residential exclusion, noting that many people were already in precarious situations before ending up on the street. Notably, over a third of respondents said this was not their first experience of homelessness.
Access to income remains a major obstacle. Three out of four people surveyed have no regular means to cover basic needs such as food, and only 5% receive steady income from benefits or employment. Social organizations warn that these vulnerabilities are compounded by exposure to harsh weather, which has become a growing concern as the homeless population rises.
In response, Fundació Arrels is calling for stronger early intervention to prevent chronic homelessness, the advancement of stalled legislation in the Catalan Parliament, and the creation of a network of stable accommodation options. The foundation’s director, Bea Fernández, emphasizes that homelessness affects people at all stages of life and that there is no single profile or solution.
The issue of housing insecurity in Barcelona has also intersected with other urban challenges in recent years. For example, the city has previously faced emergencies such as the evacuation of buildings due to infrastructure failures, as seen when residents were forced to leave their homes following a major sinkhole in the Putxet district. These incidents underscore the broader pressures on housing and the vulnerability of those without stable shelter.
Homelessness in Spain is a complex and persistent problem, with Barcelona often at the center of national debates on social policy and urban management. The city’s experience reflects wider European trends, where rising housing costs, migration, and labor market instability have contributed to growing numbers of people living without permanent homes. While local authorities and organizations continue to seek solutions, the latest figures suggest that without significant policy changes, the cycle of homelessness in Barcelona may become even more entrenched.
