Barcelona launches €400 rent aid for families and people over 55 living alone

Barcelona is launching an aid payment of up to 400 euros a month for rent. Only single-parent families and people over 55 living alone will be able to apply. The City Council seeks to ease rental pressure in the city. The application period starts this Friday.

The cost of rent in Barcelona continues to shape the lives of thousands of residents. Now, the City Council is activating a new financial aid payment that could change the situation for those who need it most: single-parent families and people over 55 who live alone will be able to apply for up to €400 per month to pay for their home.

The measure, endowed with €6 million, comes after an agreement between the municipal government and Junts per Barcelona. It is not a flat rate: the subsidy will cover the portion of rent that exceeds 30% of the household's net income, up to a maximum of €400 a month. In this way, the aim is to prevent the financial effort required of these groups from suffocating their daily lives.

To qualify, applicants must show that they spend more than 30% of their income on rent and that the flat does not exceed €1,100 a month. In addition, income may not exceed twice the Catalonia Income Sufficiency Indicator (IRSC) for people living alone, that is, less than €1,603.70 gross per month. For family units, the limit rises to 2.5 times the IRSC and up to 3.5 times if there are members with disabilities.

The aid does not cover service charges, parking, storage rooms or overdue bills. Its purpose is to complement other existing benefits, such as the Bono Alquiler Joven or aid for people over 65, and to focus on groups that until now were left outside the main support schemes.

The application period starts this Friday, 20 February, just the day after the official publication of the call. The initiative seeks to offer immediate relief to those who feel the pressure of Barcelona's housing market most strongly.

The Catalonia Income Sufficiency Indicator (IRSC) is the key reference for access to social assistance in the region. It is updated periodically and sets the income threshold that determines who can benefit from public benefits. In 2026, the IRSC stands at €801.85 per month. This scale is used for rental aid as well as grants, subsidies and other social policies, adapting to the economic reality of Catalonia and its cities.