Residents in Badia del Vallès, Barcelona, are protesting a Generalitat decision to maintain the protected status of their social housing, preventing them from selling properties at market prices.

The town, established in the 1960s as a social housing development to address Barcelona's housing crisis, recently marked its 50th anniversary. This milestone should have seen the final 1,216 protected homes released from their status on 6 February 2026, following a desegregation process that began in 2023. However, a month prior, the Catalan government declared these properties would remain protected due to the area being designated a 'stressed zone' for housing, sparking widespread anger among residents.

Amalia Frutos, who co-founded a platform for affected residents with Dorian Ros, expressed frustration. "It makes no sense that my flat is still social housing and my father's, in the block opposite, is not. They have divided us into first and second-class citizens," she said. Approximately 75% of Badia's 5,400 flats, spread across 190 blocks in just one square kilometre, transitioned to the free market in 2023. The remaining properties were expected to follow suit this year.

Retroactive Housing Measures Spark Outcry

The Generalitat passed a law designed to prevent properties in stressed zones from entering the free market, aiming to curb price increases and "speculation." This decision has left many residents feeling unfairly targeted. Genaro Álvarez, who arrived in Badia with his parents in 1976, stated, "They treat us like speculators." Álvarez bought his flat in 2004 for €64,000, the official social housing value. However, he also took out a personal loan for an additional €116,000 requested by the seller, a common irregular practice in Badia at the time. This left him with monthly payments of €1,100.

This practice came to light when the housing bubble burst, leading to a surge in unemployment in Badia, one of Catalonia's lowest per capita income municipalities. Many buyers were unable to repay their loans. Álvarez, a former member of the Platform for Mortgage Victims (PAH), fought to save his home. "There were many evictions here. Banks took over flats and investment funds acquired loans. I stood up to them then, and I will not tolerate being treated as a speculator now," he added.

Local Government Seeks Solutions

Badia del Vallès Mayor Josep Martínez Valencia (PSC) acknowledged the inconsistency. "It is incongruous that, on the same street, one block enters the free market and another does not," he said. Martínez Valencia stated that achieving "equality for all residents" is his "priority" and "greatest challenge" currently. He explained that while the majority of homes were de-protected in 2023, the remaining ones are temporarily staying protected because it is a stressed market. "It is not an indefinite measure, but it does open a debate about the right to housing versus the right to property," the mayor noted.

Martínez Valencia is working with the Housing Secretariat, which has not commented on the matter, and suggested that Badia could cease to be a stressed zone as a potential solution. However, he first needs mechanisms to "protect" citizens from speculation. "I will find the solution, I am sure, I am obsessed with it," he insisted. Residents are engaging with parliamentary groups, aware that the central government's new housing plan only provides funds to communities if social housing status is permanent. Ros criticised this, saying, "I can agree with that, because the rules are clear from the beginning. But this is a measure that plays against us, taken retroactively."

Market Realities and Bureaucracy

Despite fears, speculation has not yet significantly impacted Badia. Estate agents on Avenida de Burgos, the main street, advertise flats for €150,000 to €175,000. They report that prices are rising, similar to surrounding municipalities, but without major changes since the first homes were released in 2023. This is partly because the Generalitat's valuations for social housing often exceed €200,000, placing them above current market prices. For residents, this makes the extended protection measure even more perplexing.

Ros highlighted the practical difficulties: "The problem is all the bureaucracy involved in selling. Many owners are elderly people who may need to access the money to pay for a residence they cannot afford." Badia is the most prominent case, but residents have contacted affected individuals in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Poblenou in Barcelona. Manuel Hinojosa, another affected resident, concluded, "It seems they wanted to get housing from wherever. I am not moving from Badia, I have no interest. But it bothers me that they say they are doing it to stop speculation. We simply do not deserve it."