Hundreds of angry protesters gathered outside Barcelona’s historic Casa Orsola apartment building on Friday, determined to prevent the eviction of one of its long-time tenants, Josep Torrent.

The building, has come to symbolise the ongoing housing crisis in Barcelona, which has seen escalating concerns over affordable housing.

The Casa Orsola, purchased by an investment fund in 2021, has witnessed significant changes under new ownership. Since the acquisition, the new owners have ceased renewing rental contracts for existing tenants. Neighbours and local media have speculated that the building will be converted into luxury apartments intended for short-term tourist rentals—an increasingly common trend in Barcelona.

These short-term rentals are exempt from rent cap regulations, which were recently introduced by the local government to address the city’s housing shortage.

Josep Torrent, a mathematics professor who has lived in the building for 23 years, was scheduled for eviction on 31 January, following years of legal battles with the new owners. However, the eviction was postponed after negotiations with the judiciary and Catalan police, who cited concerns over the safety of carrying out the removal amid the protests. A new eviction date has been set for the early hours of Tuesday, 4 February, with protesters pledging to continue their fight to prevent it.

“These people want to scare their tenants and evict them one by one. But we have a very clear idea. The only way to stay in our homes is through collective bargaining so all rent contracts can be renewed,” Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Catalonia’s tenants union, said. “It’s disgraceful the way these people extort.”

One local resident Raul Acuña called for collective action. “If we all unite and keep fighting, we may be able to reverse this problem. But we must stay united. The problem starts with policies carried out by local governments. If we stay together, we can reverse the situation. If we don’t, it’s likely we will be forced to move out of the city.”

Over the last decade, the average rent in Spain has doubled, and the price per square metre in Barcelona has jumped from 7.2 euros in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to real estate website Idealista. The crisis is exacerbated by stagnant wages, particularly for younger people, in a country plagued by high unemployment rates.

Ignasi Marti, a professor of Society, Politics, and Sustainability at Esade University, emphasised the need for market regulation to address the crisis.

“The market never self-regulates. If you leave private actors to regulate themselves, it leads to situations like the one we’re witnessing now. The market must be regulated in some way.”

A report by the Bank of Spain revealed that nearly 40% of Spanish renters dedicate an average of 40% of their income to rent and utilities, significantly higher than the EU average of 27%.

This problem is compounded by the rising number of short-term rentals catering to tourists, which drives up prices even further. Migrants to Spain, who often lack sufficient savings, are disproportionately affected by the high rents.

Spain’s public housing stock is also one of the smallest in the OECD, with less than 2% of housing available for rent through public housing programmes, far below the OECD average of 7%. Countries like France, Britain, and the Netherlands have much larger percentages of public housing, with France at 14%, Britain at 16%, and the Netherlands at 34%.

Local residents and activists blame the influx of tourists, many of whom seek short-term rental accommodations, for contributing to the soaring rent prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to eliminate 10,000 so-called “tourist apartments” by 2028 as part of an effort to reduce the housing burden on locals.