Spain's housing crisis has ignited nationwide protests, culminating in October with a call for snap elections scheduled for late November. The tipping point came with the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the apartment she had called home for over seven decades. She passed away two weeks later, becoming a symbol of the struggle for housing rights in Spain and a stark reminder of a crisis that resonates across Europe.
Barcelona, a focal point of these protests, is also the birthplace of an innovative housing alternative championed by the non-profit cooperative Sostre Cívic. The organization is challenging the traditional binary of buying or renting, which its leaders argue is outdated and has contributed to the current crisis.
“Until now, access to housing in Spain has been based on two options: buying or renting. This model is outdated and responsible for the current housing crisis,” explained José Téllez, Sostre Cívic’s Head of Communication.
The right-to-use model
Sostre Cívic has pioneered Spain's right-to-use housing model, where the cooperative owns the property while members hold a permanent right to reside in their homes. This approach is made viable through a combination of public, cooperative, and European funding. A prime example is Ca l’Ordit in northeastern Barcelona, one of Spain's largest cooperative housing developments, which will provide 62 apartments across ten floors for around 90 low-income residents.
The financing structure is notably different from conventional developments. Barcelona City Council provides the land free of charge under a right-to-use agreement, EU NextGeneration funds contribute nearly €3 million, and the Council of Europe Development Bank offers low-interest loans—all without profit margins. This allows future residents to contribute between €12,000 and €24,000 to secure their homes, a fraction of the cost of buying. They then pay a monthly fee covering services, maintenance, and taxes, estimated to be up to 40% lower than market rents.
Founded over two decades ago, inspired by Northern European housing cooperatives, Sostre Cívic now boasts over 2,700 members and around 30 projects across Catalonia. Residents have already moved into half of them, accounting for more than 200 apartments, with that number expected to reach 550 within three years.
Community living in practice
On Barcelona's northern outskirts, around 50 people have been living in an eight-story building called Cirerers since 2022. Toni Artal, a 59-year-old resident, emphasizes the communal aspect: “My home goes beyond the 45 square metres of my apartment. It also includes several shared spaces and the terrace, places to live and spend time together.”
Residents are involved from the very beginning, participating in monthly meetings and committees to decide how to organize shared spaces and activities. At Cirerers, they have created a 'library of things' for sharing everyday objects, along with bicycle and carpentry workshops, a communal kitchen, and spaces for sports and cultural activities.
This model comes at a critical time, as an entire generation of Spaniards spends between 50% and 60% of their income on ever-rising rents. However, Sostre Cívic points to a contradictory response from authorities. “More and more local councils are willing to collaborate and develop cooperative housing projects in their municipalities. But over the past four years, Barcelona has allocated public land for just 100 cooperative homes, compared with more than 1,000 rental homes on public land developed in partnership with for-profit companies,” says Téllez.
The cooperative housing model alone cannot solve Europe's housing crisis, but it demonstrates that alternatives exist. To scale up, it requires land, funding, and a political commitment to recognizing housing as a fundamental right. As Spain grapples with general strikes and mass demonstrations, the cooperative approach offers a tangible, community-driven solution that could inspire policy shifts across the continent.
