13 March, 2026

Housing is a fundamental need, crucial for health, safety, and economic stability. It’s also increasingly in crisis. 

According to the European Commission, one in 10 Europeans is unable to pay their rent or mortgage on time, while home prices across the bloc have climbed 60% since 2015. 

The problem is widespread and deeply significant. But solutions can often seem few and far between Which is why we’re particularly interested in what’s happening in Catalonia, Spain. 

Across Catalonia, a new kind of housing system is quietly taking shape. It’s born out of crisis. After Spain’s housing bubble burst in 2008, millions of homes sat empty while hundreds of thousands of families faced eviction. One good thing? The severity of the situation forced a rethink what housing is for, and who it should serve. 

Catalonia’s new housing model treats housing as essential social infrastructure, not a financial asset. Homes are created through partnerships between public authorities, non‑profit housing associations, cooperatives and responsible private companies. Public bodies provide land, funding or long‑term leases, keeping costs low. Non‑profit organisations or cooperatives develop and manage the buildings, ensuring rents stay affordable over time. Residents either rent at capped social rents or join cooperatives that offer long‑term security without ownership or speculation. 

Sustainability is built in from the start. Homes are designed or renovated to be energy‑efficient, well insulated and climate‑resilient, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions.  

As rents and prices race ahead of incomes in Europe and worldwide, Catalonia’s experiment feels inspiring. And in a world that feels filled with problems, new positive ideas are perhaps particularly welcome. 

By Emma Alajarin