HOUSING EUROPE: THE LOCAL PUBLIC ACTION IN TERMS OF HOUSING IN BARCELONA

Housing Europe Urban Affairs Committee│23rd February 2016

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Housing Europe Urban Affairs Committee, 23rd February 2016

The local public action

in terms of housing in

Barcelona

Javier Burón Manager of Housing Barcelona Council City

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Settlements 500

Homeless 1,000

Applications for VPO – Subsidized & Public Rental Housing

53,889 (28,238 family units)

18,838 (severe eco vulnerability)

Tenancies 280,000 (30% stock)

Principal residences 684,000

DESCRIPTION OF THE DEMAND


ENROLLED IN THE REGISTER OF APPLICANTS FOR PROTECTED HOUSING

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28,238 dwelling units registered on 31st December 2015, which represent 53,889 people (ratio of members per dwelling unit: 1.90)


ENROLLED IN THE REGISTER OF APPLICANTS FOR PROTECTED HOUSING

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NUMBER OF MORTGAGE EVICTIONS

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• According to figures provided by the Juez Decano de Barcelona (Dean Judge of Barcelona) 2,400 evictions are produced each year, 80% of which due to non-payment of the rent.

• A good indicator of the evolution since 2009 are the cases processed by the Barcelona Local Emergences Committee.

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total

Adjudicated housing for social emergencies

75 140 138 177 213 198 (1) 319 (2) 1,260


STOCK OF PROTECTED HOUSING FOR RENTAL OF BARCELONA

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• The total represents a little more than 2% of the total stock, compared with 15% for

similar cities to ours.

• It doesn’t include the stock of VPO of already qualified sale, about which there is no

control.

Protected Rental Housing

Private Housing Total social rentals

(subsidised) Transfer Programme

Agreements with EEFF

Special contingents 1,467 12

2,636

Social emergency 1,029 118 10

Rest of protected rentals 8,026

Stock of protected rentals 10,522


EVOLUTION OF THE HOUSING STOCK FOR RENTAL WITH OFFICIAL PROTECTION IN THE CITY OF BARCELONA

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Evolution of the stock 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 increase

2010-2015

Total VPO -Official Protected Housing Rentals 10,104 10,201 10,234 10,311 10,426 10,522 4%

Rest of VPO -Official Protected Housing Rentals 8,964 8,641 8,434 8,257 8,126 8,026

Allocated for social rentals, from stock of protected rentals

1,140 1,560 1,800 2,054 2,300 2,496 119%

Programme for transfer of empty flats (Habitat 3) 118

Agreements with EEFF 22

Total housing of social rental 1,140 1,560 1,800 2,054 2,300 2,636 131%

Annual increase of social

rental 37% 15% 14% 12% 15%

Total protected rentals + social rentals (VPO + letting of empty flats + Financial statement agreements)

10,104 10,201 10,234 10,311 10,426 10,662

Supply of Rental Housing private flats, let or rented at affordable prices

(30% below market price) 1,266 1,081 1,064 764 751 662

Right of surface (75 years) 556 688 848 958 938(1)

(1) 2014 & 2015: The City Council acquired 61 leasehold dwellings at Casernes de Sant Andreu, to allocate them to protected/social rentals


SUPPLY OF EMPTY HOMES

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According to a study carried out in April 2015, in Barcelona

there are 31,200 empty flats, of which around 2,592 are

the property of financial entities (according the Register

created by the Generalitat in the development of the

Decree Law 1/2015).

OFFER OF GRANTS FOR RENTALS 2008 - 2015

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Programmes of grants 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total

Fair Rental 4,199 5,232 5,645 4,315 3,670 2,993 2,535 2,350 (1) 30,939

Basic Emancipation Income(in force) 9,551 12,017 15,424 17,506 5,579 3,148 1,491 854 65,570

Economic provisions of sepcial urgency 341 343 610 951 485 488 868 600 (2) 4,686

Subsidy for the payment of rents 1,879 (3) 1,879

Municipal grants, rental payment 2,388 (4) 2,388

Down payment and first month’s rent 124 70 79 20 4 5 19 4 325

Rental aid for housing for the elderly 609 905 923 925 1,200 1,210 1,210 1,210 8,192

Total 14,824 18,567 22,681 23,717 10,938 7,844 6,123 9,285 113,979

(1) The 2,350 cases approved correspond to the ones processed by the Consortium. Figures lacking of the definitive closure of the call by the AHC

(2) The 600 cases approved in 2015, include those presented in previous years. 784 cases still to be resolved.

(3) The 1,879 cased approved correspond to the ones processed by the Consortium. There still remain cases to be resolved and figures are lacking regarding the definitive closure by the AHC.

(4) 690 cases in the process of resolution.


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- Right of first refusal and pre-emptive rights. - Power to impose penalties (housing inadequate use). - Requirement of mandatory temporary transfer to major

holders.

- Obligation of relocation to major holders.

- Tax on the empty housing of the bank and funds. - Public obligation of the relocation of the small holder.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK


HOUSING POLICIES: MAIN LINES OF ACTION

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1. Attention of emergency housing.

2. Promotion of new flats for social rentals

3. Incorporation of empty homes in the stock of social and

affordable rental.

4. Proactive and efficient rehabilitation.

5. Promotion of new ways of accessing and management

of housing.

AIM: to advance in the conception of housing as a citizen

right that generates public obligations linked to the

availability of affordable public & pirvate housing.


EMERGENCY HOUSING

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Rounds of negotiation with financial entities (and application of the Ley 24/2015 of the Catalan Parliament).

Negotiation with judges/prosecutors, etc (it is essential to have information prior to the eviction).

Strengthening of the culture of mediation. UCER team (unit against housing exclusion).

Increase in the benefits for the payment of rental housing.

Strengthening the Social Care Network (collaboration with the IMSS – Municipal Institute of Social Services).

Guaranteeing decent work (collaboration with Barcelona Activa).

Action plan for dwellings occupied precariously (“squatted”)

Action on sub-standard housing and homeless.

AIM: to prevent = to stop evictions

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CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL RENTALS

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Social rental in detriment of property. Budgeting, financing, bottle

neck production and leverage.

Collaboration with non-profit or limited profit promoters. Public

guarantees.

New forms of tenencies and systems for the collaboration of the

financial entities – Cooperative Housing Working Group. Private

non-corporate investment? Crowdfunding? Municipal Bonds?

Public and affordable land & housing policies in the Metropolitan

Area of BCN?

AIM: to increase the production of housing by all the operators

of the city, both public and social, to resume the rhythm of

previous years

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PROMOTION OF LAND AND PROTECTED HOUSING

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AVAILABLE PLOTS OF LAND: In December 2015, the Municipal Housing Board was charged with the projects for the construction of 1,145 dwellings of affordable rents on 10 plots of land.

In addition to the previous potential of 20 plots of land for the construction of around 1,100 dwellings with official protection, to assign them to other operators.

Through several means, the building capacity is near 2.500 units.

PROMOTIONS UNDER CONSTRUCTION: 18 promotions under construction carried out by different public and private operators on municipal land, which will produce 819 dwellings. PROMOTION AT WRITING OR LICENSE PROCEDURE STAGE: 518 dwellings in 12 promotions of rental, subsidised rental or leasehold.

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PROMOTION OF LAND AND PROTECTED HOUSING Main areas with plots of land: risk of socio-espacial segregation

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Trinitat Nova

La Marina del Prat

Vermell

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@

Colònia Castells Casernes de Sant Andreu

Roquetes El Carmel

Torre

Baró

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INCORPORATION OF EMPTY UNDER-OR BADLY-USED HOUSING.

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AIM: to mobilise empty housing so as to rapidly increase

the stock of social and affordable rentals

Negotiation, purchasing and exercising of Refusal and Pre-emptive rights with

Financial Institutions (major holders).

Sanctioning procedures and fiscal measure for under-use.

Strengthening the Mobilisation Programme Habitat3 (ppp – non profit).

Future mapping and mobilisation of empty housing (Habitat2?) of private

owners to affordable rentals.

Illegal tourist apartments (penalty switchable for social rent) and change of

use of hotel projects paralysed.

Payment of Generalitat debt with transfer of flats.

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REHABILITATION

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AIM: proactive rehabilitation that improves the functionality and accessibility of the housing, making them energy efficient, generating employment and impeding speculative uses.

Diffuse / generalist / preventive

vs.

Concentrated / integral / palliative.

Buildings vs. housing

Energy rehabilitation / social aimed rehabilitation

Employment Public Plans.

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PROMOTION OF NEW WAYS OF ACCESSING AND MANAGING HOUSING

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AIM: Innovation = increase the impact of public expenditure + ppp + management deburocratization + antiprivatization devices + empowerment of individuals and comunities. - Cohousing.

- Refurbish empty premises = right to long term affordable rental.

- “Social AirBNB”.

- HOUSING ASSOCIATION: ppp, professional management, limited profit, affordable rental, long term business plan.

- …

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EMERGENCY HOUSING + Social Services

REGULATION HOUSING + Urban planning

PRODUCE / REHABILITATE HOUSING + Employment + Urb planning.

TRANSFORM HOUSING + Civil Society

LOBBY HOUSING + Parliaments

INVEST HOUSING + finances

MET CONNECTION HOUSING + AMB + BCN Regional + Etc

ACTIONS INTERFACES


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Education

HOUSING EUROPE: THE LOCAL PUBLIC ACTION IN TERMS OF HOUSING IN BARCELONA