Catalunya wants to bring back homes above shops and offices with grants of up to 30,000 euros

Can you imagine the flat above your bakery becoming a home again? Catalunya has launched a pilot scheme aiming for just that: to bring flats located above shops and offices—many of which were converted years ago—back onto the housing market.

The proposal is simple but ambitious. The Govern is offering businesses occupying the ground floors of residential buildings the chance to move to street-level premises. The incentive? Up to 30,000 euros per business to cover the purchase, rental, or renovation of the new space. The initial budget is 600,000 euros, though if demand exceeds expectations, they may increase it.

An experiment with room to grow

For now, the initiative is just a pilot. The goal is to see if there’s genuine interest and whether the approach works. If the response is positive, the Govern has already hinted that it could increase funding and expand the programme.

The measure comes at a time when the lack of affordable housing remains one of the major urban challenges. Recovering these flats could ease pressure in areas where every square metre counts. It’s not the first time the Generalitat has explored unconventional ways to increase the housing supply: as previously reported, there was a recent proposal for joint purchase of flats for people over 40.

Who can benefit?

The plan is aimed at businesses currently occupying spaces on the ground floors of residential buildings. If they decide to move their activity to a street-level premises, they can apply for the grant. The money can be used for the purchase, rental, or renovation of the new premises. The maximum per business is 30,000 euros.

Once vacated, the flats that were previously shops or offices can become homes again. The real impact will depend on how many businesses take up the offer and how quickly the administrative process can convert those spaces.

A one-off solution or a trend to follow?

The Catalan experiment raises a question: can this kind of incentive change the housing landscape in cities? For now, the approach is modest, but if the pilot shows there’s interest and results, this could be a new way to recover homes in dense urban areas. The fact that the Govern is willing to increase the budget if demand justifies it shows the administration is looking for flexible, pragmatic solutions—less about grand promises and more about concrete action.