“Social housing is key for a strong society and for municipalities to regain trust in democracy”, says acting mayor, #AdaColau at the opening of the fourth ISHF – International Social Housing Festival 2023. Instead of legitimising speculation of housing as an asset, public administrations should set affordable housing in the center of society. Because housing is a basic right, a necessity to live, to develop yourself and to contribute to society. Only when public administrations organize housing properly, they can be succesfull in their job and show that democracy works.
Therefore, since she came in power as mayor of #Barcelona, her administration has worked out policies to prevent – or delay – #evictions, to regulate rents by small private landlords, and to build new social housing, at least 40% in new urban development. Despite the difficulties het administration faced to change a system, it worked out. Social housing grew from 7.500 units eight years ago, to 11.500 now and will grow to 14.000, now the biggest share of social housing in any Spanish city. Which is a great result.
The most important thing is changing the paradigm. Creating awareness about the importance of affordable housing for cities. A new municipal government is being formed right now. A new mayor will come in power soon. As citizens, we must keep on advocating for more social housing and democracy, she concludes.
(this article is part of a series of blog articles for a live blog website, in collaboration with Housing Europe)
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