Faced with soaring rents, Barcelona tenants unite to create a “union” Sindicato de Inquilinos is not ruling out city-wide rental strike mirroring dramatic events of 1931 Otros

The initiative draws from the tenant unions already in existence in other European countries. In Barcelona, the initative is backed by the Federation of Neighborhood Associations (FAVB) and by affordable housing advocacy groups. In Sweden, for instance, the 580,000-member tenants’ union negotiates rental prices with private landlords and with government agencies in the case of public housing. Barcelona – which is run by the leftist mayor Ada Colau, herself a former housing activist – has applauded the initiative, describing it as “in sync” with her own policies. This is more necessary than ever BARCELONA HOUSING COMMISSIONER JOSEP MARIA MONTANER “This is a very good piece of news that will serve to reinforce the role of renting in Barcelona,” says Josep Maria Montaner, the city’s housing commissioner. “This is more necessary than ever.” Montaner confirms that the city council shares the group’s demands: a reference price index, longer leases and policies to encourage public housing rentals. The Sindicato de Inquilinos was launched on Tuesday and its first public event is scheduled for Friday. Its stated goal is: “to be a voice to defend housing as a right in the face of those who consider it merchandise.” The group says it will defend rent control and longer leases, which are currently up to three years long. The union will report situations that violate the right to housing and offer its members technical and legal advice. Membership fees are €30, and a crowdfunding effort will attempt to raise €20,000 to pay legal fees. Home evictions became the focus of media attention in Spain throughout the crisis. ALVARO GARCÍA The founders of this new support group note that in 1931, tens of thousands of cash-strapped Barcelona families went on a “rent strike,” refusing to pay their rent unless landlords lowered them. The authorities reacted with hundreds of arrests, while the police tossed furniture out apartment windows to make sure that tenants in default could not move back in. Palomeras does not rule out a strike. “We will employ all means at our disposal to pressure government agencies and private [landowners] who are making a profit.” All areas affected Irene Sabater and Lourdes García, also with the Sindicato, said that the current rental bubble is affecting all areas of Barcelona, where it is now impossible to find an apartment for under €800 a month, even though a third of the population earns less than that amount. The growing popularity of short-term tourist apartments has also been blamed for the rising rents in the city center. Sabater said that three injustices are being committed: “prices, with growing pressure that pushes local residents out; legislation, which favors short-term leases; and huge rent hikes when contracts end or when entire buildings are sold to investors who kick out residents." English version by Susana Urra.

“We said enough is enough. Homeowners have always been organized, and it is high time that tenants did the same,” says Jaime Palomera, a spokesman for a Barcelona-based initiative called Sindicato de Inquilinos, or Tenants’ Union. “There are 200,000 [renting] families in Barcelona, and if we get organized we can achieve a historic change,” adds Palomera, noting that the Catalan capital is experiencing a rental housing price bubble that is pushing tenants out of their homes.

Barcelona demands building permits from Gaudí’s La Sagrada Família But the church claims that it received a permit in 1885

For the last 134 years, architect Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece La Sagrada Família has been under construction in Barcelona. But a fresh roadblock may cause construction to take longer still. When completed, La Sagrada Família will be the tallest church in the world, and one of the most magnificent buildings on planet earth. But a construction permit, taxes and 3,000 residents now stand in the church’s way. Barcelona’s City Council accuses the Board of La Sagrada Família of working without a building permit and not filing plans to tear down existing residential structures in order to complete Gaudí’s esplanade. Oh, and they allegedly haven’t paid their taxes as well. The board of the cathedral fired back, citing a building permit granted by the City of Sant Martí de Provençals in 1885 from before the church was part of Barcelona. City mayors in the past have not required new building permits. According to Curbed, it’s likely that the city wants permits now because they are hoping to collect local building taxes worth roughly $921,000 a year. They also oppose the destruction of dozens of existing buildings to complete Gaudi’s walkway. The church is scheduled to be finished by 2026.

For the last 134 years, architect Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece La Sagrada Família has been under construction in Barcelona. But a fresh roadblock may cause construction to take longer still. When completed, La Sagrada Família will be the tallest church in the world, and one of the most magnificent buildings on planet earth. But a construction permit, taxes and 3,000 residents now stand in the church’s way. Barcelona’s City Council accuses the Board of La Sagrada Família of working without a building permit and not filing plans to tear down existing residential structures in order to complete Gaudí’s esplanade. Oh, and they allegedly haven’t paid their taxes as well. The board of the cathedral fired back, citing a building permit granted by the City of Sant Martí de Provençals in 1885 from before the church was part of Barcelona. City mayors in the past have not required new building permits. According to Curbed, it’s likely that the city wants permits now because they are hoping to [Read more...]

Area natives search for Barcelona home to be featured on HGTV

While some may fantasize about living in a foreign county, a Mechanicsburg native and his wife took their dreams to the next level by moving to Spain and soon will be featured in an upcoming episode of HGTV’s “House Hunters International.” Marty Agerton, a 1996 Mechanicsburg High School graduate, and wife Jen, a 1999 Central Dauphin grad, moved from their home in Austin, Texas, to a rented flat in Barcelona, Spain, with their toddler son Holtyn in October 2016. It was a move they’d considered for a while. “Marty and I love to travel and we were taking two overseas trips per year. After we had our son, (overseas) job recruiters started reaching out randomly to me through LinkedIn and I started going through a series of interviews,” said Jen Agerton, who works in product management for a travel company. Soon, the couple was faced with the choice of relocating either to Edinburgh, Scotland, or Barcelona. Marty Agerton’s ongoing studies of Historical European Martial Arts, or HEMA, made Barcelona, a historic city with a strong HEMA connection, an easy choice, along with a few other factors. “We wanted to live in a country where English is not the first language spoken. Plus, Spain is a very family-oriented country, so we thought it would be a good place to raise our son,” Jen Agerton said. The week that they moved, the couple followed through with a suggestion from Marty’s aunt and contacted HGTV about possibly being featured on “House Hunters International.” To their surprise, a response from HGTV expressing interest in their proposal arrived two months later. “They get 22,000 applications a year for the show,” Jen Agerton said during a visit this week with relatives in Mechanicsburg. Pause Current Time 0:00 / Duration Time 0:00 Stream TypeLIVE Loaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00 Fullscreen 00:00 Mute “House Hunters International,” which airs weeknights on HGTV, is a spinoff of the network’s “House Hunters” series. Home hunters and real estate agents are shown browsing through foreign homes and a variety of architectural styles. Together, they “work through the idiosyncrasies of buying real estate in other countries,” according to the show’s website.

While some may fantasize about living in a foreign county, a Mechanicsburg native and his wife took their dreams to the next level by moving to Spain and soon will be featured in an upcoming episode of HGTV’s “House Hunters International.” Marty Agerton, a 1996 Mechanicsburg High School graduate, and wife Jen, a 1999 Central Dauphin grad, moved from their home in Austin, Texas, to a rented flat in Barcelona, Spain, with their toddler son Holtyn in October 2016. It was a move they’d considered for a while. “Marty and I love to travel and we were taking two overseas trips per year. After we had our son, (overseas) job recruiters started reaching out randomly to me through LinkedIn and I started going through a series of interviews,” said Jen Agerton, who works in product management for a travel company. Soon, the couple was faced with the choice of relocating either to Edinburgh, Scotland, or Barcelona. Marty Agerton’s ongoing studies of Historical European Martial Arts, or HEMA, made [Read more...]

Qinvest, Qatar’s leading private investment group and one of the region’s most prominent Islamic financial institutions has announced its investment in OneOcean Port Vell, a world-class marina in Barcelona, Spain.

Qinvest, Qatar's leading private investment group and one of the region’s most prominent Islamic financial institutions, has announced its investment in OneOcean Port Vell, a world-class marina in Barcelona,  Spain.

Qinvest, Qatar's leading private investment group and one of the region’s most prominent Islamic financial institutions, has announced its investment in OneOcean Port Vell, a world-class marina in Barcelona,  Spain. The investment was made through its wholly-owned subsidiary BOH, and was made in conjunction with an investment partner, said a statement. Qinvest will work with the city and port authorities in Barcelona to increase the profile of the marina by investing additional resources in the port infrastructure. Tamim Hamad Al Kawari, chief executive officer of Qinvest, said: “Having supported the marina for a number of years, we, alongside our investment partner, are very pleased to be leading the new ownership of One Ocean Port Vell. As one of the most prestigious marinas in the region and situated in one of Europe’s leading cities, we are confident about its prospects for the future.” Craig Cowie, Qinvest’s head of real estate investment and advisory, said: “OneOcean Port [Read more...]

As Nobu hotel sets to open in Barcelona, a vote on independence nears

Nobu Hospitality, for one, has signed a management contract with Selenta Group, a Spanish real estate and hotel group, to open a hotel in the Catalan capital of Barcelona. The deal came ahead of Catalonia nationalists call for the region to separate from the rest of Spain. Set to open by the end of 2018, as part of the refurbishment of the Gran Hotel Torre Catalunya, the 250-room Nobu Hotel and Restaurant will be part of the Selenta Group collection and will be the Nobu brand's fourth European hotel and third Spanish property, joining Marbella and Ibiza. “We are extremely proud to be partnering with the Spanish company Selenta Group on such an exciting project, and we look forward to working with the Catalan community. In announcing this new hotel, we are continuing our solid world-wide growth with Nobu Hotel Barcelona and establishing our 13th Nobu Hotel within our special collection,” said Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality. Catalonia’s referendum is the latest in a long-running campaign for Catalan independence, which began in 1922 when the region was declared an autonomous state within Spain, a status which was revoked by General Franco in 1938. The campaign has intensified in the past decade, culminating in a vote for self determination in 2014, in which 81 percent of the electorate voted in favor. The referendum took place despite being banned by the Spanish courts, a scenario independence campaigners are once again facing, with Spain's Constitutional Court declaring the vote illegal. Despite calls for the ballot boxes, voting papers and other paraphernalia to be seized, the vote is expected to go ahead and the result is likely to be in favor, once again. Catalonia is one of 17 autonomous regions, but, aided by Barcelona, it generates a fifth of the country's USD1.31 trillion GDP, making it key to Spain’s success. Although Spain’s government does not accept the vote, Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission said: “It is obvious that if there is a 'Yes' to Catalonia's independence—that remains to be seen—we will respect that choice. But Catalonia will not be able to become an EU member the morning after. Catalonia will be submitted to an accession process.” Earlier this year, Barcelona’s authorities declared a moratorium on hotel development, with the city a focal point for protests over the impacts of mass tourism. Sharing platforms have also been limited as local residents fear being priced out of the residential market. The transactions market remains buoyant, with the summer seeing AXA Insurance Companies acquire a 55-percent stake in the Hilton Diagonal Mar Hotel in central Barcelona from Iberdrola Inmobiliaria for €80 million.

Nobu Hospitality, for one, has signed a management contract with Selenta Group, a Spanish real estate and hotel group, to open a hotel in the Catalan capital of Barcelona. The deal came ahead of Catalonia nationalists call for the region to separate from the rest of Spain. Set to open by the end of 2018, as part of the refurbishment of the Gran Hotel Torre Catalunya, the 250-room Nobu Hotel and Restaurant will be part of the Selenta Group collection and will be the Nobu brand's fourth European hotel and third Spanish property, joining Marbella and Ibiza. “We are extremely proud to be partnering with the Spanish company Selenta Group on such an exciting project, and we look forward to working with the Catalan community. In announcing this new hotel, we are continuing our solid world-wide growth with Nobu Hotel Barcelona and establishing our 13th Nobu Hotel within our special collection,” said Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality. Catalonia’s referendum is the latest in a [Read more...]