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Barcelona delivers 42 social housing units in Poblenou after 7 years: rents from €428
Barcelona adds new affordable housing options at a time of high property pressure. In Poblenou, the former La Sibèria ice factory has been converted into 42 social rental flats that will start to be occupied in June, after seven years of waiting and paperwork.
The project, located on Badajoz street, will allow 30 families to access housing through a public lottery, while the rest will be allocated to social organisations and emergency housing situations. Management will be handled by Fundació Hàbitat3.
The flats, with two bedrooms and between 61 and 72 square metres, will have rents ranging from €428 to €501 per month, below the official price. In addition, the building uses timber construction, a more sustainable solution that is starting to gain ground in the city.
The model combines private investment and public control: the developer builds on municipal land, but the homes will remain public in the long term. This approach aims to expand the stock of social rental housing without relying solely on the administration.
The project also highlights one of the main challenges: time. Although construction was completed in less than two years, the paperwork dragged on for five, reflecting the difficulty of responding quickly to housing demand in Barcelona.
For those looking to rent in Barcelona, this type of project opens up new opportunities with lower prices and more stable conditions. It also shows the direction the city is heading: more public-private collaboration and more social housing to ease market pressure. Even so, the pace of delivery remains crucial, as demand continues to far outstrip available supply.