Barcelona Mayor calls for global housing alliance in New York

At the U20 Summit in New York, Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni has called for a global alliance of major cities to address the housing crisis. Emphasizing that ‘housing is a right, not a business’, Collboni argued that local governments must coordinate internationally to counter the influence of global investment funds and short-term rental platforms like Airbnb.

Collboni’s proposal has received support from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The two leaders discussed implementing a network of affordable public supermarkets to combat rising food costs, a model inspired by New York’s ‘N.Y.C. Groceries’ program. Barcelona plans to launch a pilot project for such a network in the Marina neighborhood, expected to begin in the second half of 2027. These municipal stores would be managed by non-profit entities to provide high-quality, essential goods at accessible prices in underserved areas.