Europe’s housing costs akin to ‘new pandemic’, warns Barcelona mayor

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs commissionerDecember 15, 2025 at 11:11 AM

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Barcelona's mayor, along with 16 other European city leaders representing over 20 million people, is urging the EU to address the soaring cost of housing, which they describe as a "new pandemic." They are calling for the EU to launch an affordable housing fund, similar to the NextGenerationEU program, to mobilize at least €300 billion annually in public and private investment. This call comes as the EU prepares to present its first housing plan on Tuesday, following consultations with experts and the public. The mayors argue that rising property and rental costs, which have increased significantly since 2010, are creating inequality and straining social structures across Europe. They want a seat at the decision-making table to share their local experience and contribute to solutions.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Jaume Collboni ×260% European Union ×370% Barcelona ×280%

Keywords

housing costs 100% affordable housing 90% eu 80% housing crisis 70% funding 60% property rents 50% social emergency 50% inequality 40% social fabric 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Barcelona

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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housing costs affordable housing eu housing crisis funding property rents social emergency inequality social fabric

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