Lleida city has seen a drastic reduction in the construction of protected housing, with current annual figures representing just 3.5% of those built in the 1980s, according to the social report of the new Municipal Urban Planning Plan (POUM).
Between 2020 and 2023, only 79 protected homes were built in Lleida, averaging fewer than 20 per year. This figure is eight times lower than the annual average of 159 units constructed during the 2000s property boom, which saw a total of 1,598 homes. The contrast with the 1980s is stark, when an average of 572 protected homes were built annually, making current numbers 28 times smaller.
This significant drop means that the 5,729 protected homes built in the 1980s account for over half (52.2%) of all 10,978 protected properties completed by 2023. The statistical curve for each decade shows a sharp decline, starting at its highest point and falling almost to the ground.
Ageing Protected Housing Stock
The majority of these properties are now over three decades old. As of 31 December 2023, only 3,739 homes still held valid protected status, roughly a third of the total. This number has since decreased further, with hundreds losing their protected status in 2024 and 2025 as their qualifications expired. In 2026, 666 homes in Lleida city were set to lose this condition, but the Catalan government provisionally extended their validity, mirroring action in other Catalan municipalities declared as 'stressed residential market areas'.
The POUM document also highlights the scarcity of publicly promoted housing in the city, with only 108 such properties completed between 1990 and 2023.
Calls for Public Aid and Regulatory Stability
Montse Pujol, president of the Association of Promoters in Lleida, stated that the construction of social housing now relies on private companies, but it is not profitable for them. Pujol explained that during periods of higher construction, both developers and buyers received subsidies, making it financially viable for both parties. She believes that an appropriate housing policy is key to reactivating the sector.
While Pujol sees potential in the Generalitat's initiative to tender public land for this purpose, she called for “more regulatory stability and fewer changes”. She told reporters, “The business of a development is not done in five months, but in two years, so we need regulatory certainty, as well as more financing facilities.” Pujol insisted, “Public aid is needed.”
Separately, the report indicates that the number of homes started per thousand inhabitants in Lleida city between 1998 and 2023 was 7.55, which is above the Catalan average of 7.12 but below Segrià's 8.54. The number of completed homes was 6.55 for Lleida, 6.07 for Catalonia, and 6.60 for Segrià.
Property Prices and Rental Costs Rise
The POUM report also analyses trends in property sales and rentals. Between 2004 and 2024, there were 31,117 property transactions, with 78.5% involving second-hand homes. Used properties saw a slightly higher price increase of 21.3% compared to new homes, which rose by 20.6%. New homes, however, maintained a higher average price of €158,000 in 2024, compared to €105,000 for second-hand properties. Rental prices increased by 55% between 2005 and 2023. A sample of 52 rental flats in February 2025 showed an average price of €742.7.
Moving forward, the effectiveness of the Generalitat's public land tenders and any new public aid programmes will be critical in determining if Lleida can reverse the decades-long decline in protected housing construction and address the growing affordability challenges for residents.
