Priced out: Tenants threaten rent strike as housing crisis worsens

Filling the Sink

This Saturday November 23 the Tenant’s Union accompanied by dozens of housing activism organizations have planned a protest in Barcelona to demand a significant reduction in rents. We discuss the housing crisis, analyze the reasons behind rising prices and find out how tenants are fighting back.

Host Beth Cohen is joined by Catalan News journalist Cillian Shields to explore how the housing situation has evolved in recent years. Cillian talks to tenants about the difficulties of renting in Barcelona, the increasingly unfavorable contracts offered by landlords and the saturated housing market. Beth investigates the rent cap law, finds out what a ‘tense housing zone’ is and discovers how landlords are using legal loopholes to continue to charge prices which reflect market demand.

We interview some of the key figures involved in Saturday’s protest, including Carme Arcarazo, the spokesperson for the Tenants´ Union, and Judit Esposa, a representative of a housing union in the Barcelona neighborhood of Gràcia. They clarify what the protest hopes to achieve, while experts question the viability of a rent strike.

Filling the Sink also reveals how locals are being priced out of their neighborhoods, as tourism and luxury real estate put pressure on rental prices. For those who do want to stay, compromise comes in the form of a flat share or moving back into the family home, neither of which are desirable options for working adults.

This week’s Catalan phrase is “Començar la casa per la teulada” - to start the house with the roof. It means to do things in the wrong order and is the equivalent of the English saying “To put the cart before the horse.”