Girona Moves to Establish Emergency Housing Board
The Ajuntament de Girona has approved plans to create a local Housing Emergency Board to speed up support for residents at risk of homelessness. The measure was passed on Tuesday 13 October 2026, following a plenary session where two separate motions on the housing crisis were debated and adopted.
The first motion, put forward by the PSC (Socialist Party), calls for the establishment of a dedicated Housing Emergency Board in coordination with the Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya. This body would bring together municipal housing, social services, and mediation departments to fast-track rehousing for vulnerable families. A maximum of three months has been set to draft the board’s operational rules, according to the motion cited in the official municipal plan.
Girona currently lacks such a board, unlike other Catalan cities including Barcelona, Lleida, Sabadell, Terrassa, and Vic. The PSC proposal also urges the reinstatement of the Local Coordination Table for the Right to Housing, established in 2012, and greater cooperation with the regional government to facilitate rehousing. It highlights the use of existing support tools such as the Garantim programme, which subsidises private-market rentals for those in housing emergencies.
Demand for Rent Controls and Fewer Tourist Rentals
A second motion, led by the municipal governing coalition Guanyem Girona and ERC, passed with support from the same groups. It calls on the Spanish state to introduce indefinite rental contracts for primary residences and implement rent caps to prevent excessive price increases.
The proposal also demands tighter regulation of short-term and room rentals, an end to evictions of vulnerable individuals, and the creation of alternative housing solutions. It further urges action against speculative property transactions and expansion of the public affordable housing stock. A key focus is reducing tourist housing: the motion calls for restrictions on new licences and renewals, aiming to convert existing tourist flats into permanent homes.
According to municipal data cited in the motion, Girona had 819 tourist housing units in 2025, offering 4,505 beds, accounting for 66.4% of the city’s tourist accommodation capacity.
"Administrations must dedicate greater economic and housing efforts," said councillor Amy Sabaly, defending the need for stronger public resources.
The motion also calls on the Generalitat to ensure at least 50% of new residential developments on consolidated urban land and major renovations are designated as protected housing. It requests increased inspections of real estate agencies to detect abusive practices and urges Catalonia to assume full legislative powers over housing policy. The Sindicat de Llogateres and other housing rights groups are formally recognised in the text.
Political Divisions on Housing Response
While both motions passed, political divisions emerged during the debate. The PSC motion passed with votes in favour from the PSC, abstentions from Guanyem Girona, ERC, Junts, and PP, and opposition from Vox. The governing coalition’s motion passed with support from Guanyem and ERC, abstention from the PSC, and opposition from Junts, PP, and Vox.
Vox councillor Francisco Javier Domínguez rejected both initiatives, arguing that Girona does not need more committees but greater legal certainty for landlords and fewer barriers to construction. PP councillor Jaume Veray acknowledged the housing crisis but questioned the timing and effectiveness of the proposals, noting Catalonia leads Spain in both occupancy and eviction rates.
Junts councillor Núria Riquelme abstained on the PSC motion, saying a new board would not solve Girona’s housing problems. The governing parties, meanwhile, highlighted their achievements: nearly 100 homes built, 50 of them for young people; 20 homes acquired through right of first refusal; and over 300 evictions suspended, according to statements by Sabaly.
Primary sources: eb.girona.cat, Ajuntament de Girona, Entitat Autonoma del Diari Oficial i de Publicacions de la Generalitat de Catalunya (EADOP), portaljuridic.gencat.cat. Reported by diaridegirona.cat, GIRONA NOTÍCIES, laciutat.cat, am48023, Diari de Girona.
