The city’s municipal action on housing won the EU award in the category of ‘Fair financing for housing affordability’, recognising best practice and innovation in the sphere of public housing.

A record number of projects entered for this edition of the awards, with a total of 86 initiatives from 16 different countries.

The European Responsible Housing Awards started life in 2004 as an EU-funded initiative focusing on social corporative responsibility in the social and affordable housing sector. Over the years the awards have become an opportunity for providers of public, social and cooperative housing to take part in a European competition to showcase success stories, innovation and good practice.

Standing up for the right to housing

The award received by the Barcelona Municipal Housing Institute recognises the work done by the City Council, which has created the tools to increase its limited affordable housing stock. The award also recognises the anti-speculation policies of the Right to Housing Plan 2016-2025.

The Right to Housing Plan defines municipal proposals and commitments and outlines the measures approved by the City Council to stand up for this right in the city. The plan sets out a series of measures organised into four areas of action:

1. Prevention and support in relation to the housing emergency and residential exclusion, with measures to help people who can’t afford housing.
2. Guarantee proper use of available housing and ensure its social function through the lease of empty homes and by exercising the right of first refusal and pre-emption.
3. The expansion of the affordable housing stock by promoting the construction of new publicly owned buildings.
4. The promotion of housing renovation with measures to protect tenants.