1000’s of protesters marched by way of Barcelona on Saturday demanding decrease rents in Spain’s second metropolis.
Barcelona, which has already taken motion to cease the unfold of vacation rental residences, is the most recent Spanish metropolis to see protests for cheaper housing.
Backed by left-wing events and unions, the demonstrators gathered in central Barcelona behind a large banner declaring “Decrease the rents”.
“As we speak a brand new political cycle begins regarding housing,” Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for the Catalan Tenants Union, the primary organiser, instructed reporters.
“Traders should not be allowed to return to our cities and play with the residences like a sport of Monopoly,” she added.
The union would goal “profiteers” who’re taking “half of our salaries”, Arcarazo stated.
The demonstrators demanded a 50 p.c lower in rents, leases with a vast time period and a ban on “speculative” gross sales of buildings. They threatened to begin a hire strike.
An estimated 22,000 folks took half in an analogous demonstration in Madrid on October 13. Campaigns have been launched in different cities.
In response to the Idealista specialised web site, rental costs per sq. metre have risen 82 p.c throughout Spain over the previous decade.
The typical wage has gone up by 17 p.c in that point, in accordance with the nationwide statistics institute.
Dealing with strain over a housing disaster, the federal government in 2023 handed laws calling for extra social housing, better restrictions on rents in excessive demand areas and penalties for house owners who don’t occupy properties.
However rents have continued to rise whereas the federal government has battled metropolis and regional authorities to get some elements of the legislation utilized.
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