Sánchez urges residential priority over tourism in Barcelona housing forum

At the Vidas futuras gathering in Barcelona's Disseny Hub, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged a shift in policy to prioritize residential occupancy of housing over tourist rentals, arguing that the market must be governed to ensure affordability for younger citizens. He called on Spain's autonomous communities to apply the Housing Law as a tool to achieve this goal, without detailing the pending decree that will be presented to the Council of Ministers.

The speech coincided with urgent talks on a housing reform sparked by the controversial eviction of Maricarmen. Sánchez also used the forum to discuss broader 2050 challenges, such as reducing inequality, recognizing diverse family structures, and addressing digital divides that could widen gaps between tech elites and the public. He highlighted demographic trends toward smaller families, longer lifespans, and increased reliance on digital connections. The event featured participation from Generalitat president Salvador Illa and Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni.