Barcelona’s housing crisis has escalated to critical levels, forcing hundreds of people to seek shelter under extreme conditions and exposing a deep structural problem. The Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport has become an improvised sleeping space for around 150 homeless individuals—a figure that has quadrupled in just five years. Many arrive using regular public transport—such as line 46—avoiding expensive tourist shuttles, showcasing survival strategies. One statement captures the feeling shared by many: “It’s crap, but it’s better than the street,” as the airport offers more safety and shelter than the open air. Still, these individuals face periodic evictions by AENA, citing “security” and “health” concerns. One such operation took place right before the 2025 Mobile World Congress, a move authorities denied was related, but which was criticized by social organizations for hiding the problem rather than addressing it.

Meanwhile, the city is home to 67 informal settlements where more than 280 people live in substandard conditions—such as in Vallcarca, where around 70 people (mainly Roma) live without basic services like water or electricity. In addition, over 500 people live in precarious indoor squats (abandoned commercial spaces). This precariousness is directly tied to the housing crisis and record-high rents—an average of €1,193 in the first quarter of 2024—which are unaffordable for many. The situation worsens due to structural discrimination, as one Roma resident in Vallcarca puts it: “No one wants to rent to me because I’m Roma.” It’s also exacerbated by a shrinking long-term rental market—down 75% in five years—in favor of temporary rentals. As researcher Albert Sales points out, rising prices in the affordable housing market directly fuel homelessness and substandard housing.

Another consequence of the crisis is the increasing number of people living in motorhomes or vans—a forced alternative due to the prohibitive cost of conventional housing. Yet Barcelona is particularly unfriendly to this option, offering few safe or free places to park overnight (Montjuïc, for instance, is known for frequent thefts), along with restrictive regulations. These reflect a broader trend of criminalizing the consequences of poverty rather than tackling its causes.

In response, institutional action remains limited. The Barcelona City Council has created a unit of 16 professionals to help homeless individuals access sublet rooms, promote autonomy, and move away from paternalism. While positive, such efforts are insufficient given the magnitude of the crisis. They also contrast with fragmented policies and actions focused more on managing visibility—such as evictions—than addressing the root of the problem: real estate speculation and the critical shortage of public and affordable housing.

An urgent paradigm shift is needed—a rights-based approach that includes massive investment in public and social housing, effective market regulation to control prices and curb speculation, anti-discrimination policies, and the development of alternatives such as housing cooperatives and the mobilization of empty homes. Only a comprehensive and sustained commitment will allow us to confront a crisis that violates fundamental rights and threatens the social cohesion of Barcelona.

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