the essential
In Barcelona, several thousand people demonstrated against soaring rent prices this Saturday. The authorities fail to regulate market prices despite the discontent of the people of Barcelona.
Like thousands of people (126,000 according to the organizers) gathered this Saturday, November 23 in the evening on University Square, in the heart of Barcelona, Helena waves keys with her arm raised. This young woman who lived in Toulouse for several years demonstrated against rent prices. At 30, this social educator has never lived alone. “I live in a shared apartment with three other people and I pay 450 euros per month for a room. I'm pretty lucky. » Except that his salary barely exceeds 1,000 euros. Like many Barcelona residents, she spends between 40 and 50% of her salary on her accommodation.
“Gentrification, which is a problem in Barcelona and most major capitals in Europe, makes it impossible for me to live alone and plan for the future. Many of my desires and projects are impossible to imagine because salaries and rent prices are incompatible. I can’t imagine having a family or living the way I would like”;
In 10 years, rent prices have increased by 68% in Barcelona. An apartment rents on average for 1200 euros per month, when the minimum wage is 1134 euros. As a result of this surge in prices, young people do not become independent before the age of 30.
« I'm selling my kidney to pay my rent.”
The signs held up by the demonstrators use irony to denounce a situation that is increasingly difficult to live with. “I am selling my kidney to pay my rent” we can read on a sign. Adria, a middle school mathematics teacher, wrote a slogan in English: “Digital nomads, you are not welcome in Barcelona”. “I wrote this sign because this population raises prices even more than the tourists,” explains the young man who pays 1,300 per month with his partner for an apartment of 50 square meters. “These are people who come from northern Europe and France in particular, with salaries from northern Europe. They move here, enjoy the “Barcelona experience” for a few months and pay no taxes. We can’t compete with their salaries.”
DDM Henry de Laguérie
Behind the anger of the crowd, there is a whole section of the population who fear being expelled from their own city and who wonder about the future of a city which risks losing its essence. “I have two young children, I have always lived in Barcelona and I can see that I will end up leaving my city,” laments Josep, an IT specialist. “When cities become a place where only the rich can live, we lose the unique character of the city,” explains Pol, a student who lives with his parents. “I worry about the identity of Barcelona. Historic shops are replaced by bars and businesses designed for foreigners. Nothing is written in Catalan or Spanish anymore. Everything is in English.”
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Faced with this growing anger, the public authorities have implemented rent controls in Barcelona for several months. But for the moment, the measure has had the effect of considerably reducing the rental supply. Most owners have in fact transferred their properties to short-term rental, which is not subject to these constraints. The Catalan government has also announced the construction of social housing. But there is a considerable delay in this area: the public rental stock does not exceed 2% in Spain while it amounts to almost 16% on average in France.
