Pedro Sánchez visits Barcelona amid housing crisis proposals

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Barcelona to participate in the presentation of the ‘Vides Futures’ report at the Disseny Hub. The visit, which included Catalan President Salvador Illa and Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni, required heavy police security, including Mossos d’Esquadra and Guardia Urbana, due to ongoing protests regarding the housing crisis.

In a related development concerning the national housing emergency, the Spanish government has shared a draft royal decree-law with political parties. The proposal includes a measure that would allow tenants to request a mandatory two-year extension of rental contracts, provided they have been up to date with payments for the previous eight months. Under this draft, landlords would be obligated to accept the extension unless they demonstrate a real and proven need to occupy the property for themselves or their family members.