The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has assured this Tuesday that more than 60% of the existing inequality in Spain is linked to difficulties in accessing housing, and has warned that speculation is "expelling families from neighborhoods and turning urban centers into theme parks".
In his speech at the "Bloomberg CityLab 2026" forum, Sánchez pointed out that the speculative dynamics of the real estate market are destroying "the soul and identity of cities" and gave as an example major capitals such as Madrid, Budapest, and Lisbon, where households are forced to dedicate more than 70% of their income to housing payments.
"Something that, without a doubt, is a source of social injustice and also of discomfort on the part of our fellow citizens, as is logical. And faced with that, there are two paths. There is a dilemma that must be resolved. Look the other way or intervene in a market that is not working. And we have also decided, at the state level, to intervene in a market that is not working," he remarked.
In this context, the head of the Executive has recalled that the Government approved in 2023 the Law for the Right to Housing, which empowers the autonomous communities and their municipalities to declare stressed areas to limit prices "sensibly, without harming owners" and which, furthermore, offers instruments to promote a "more affordable" housing supply.
"But there is one condition, and that is wanting to apply this Housing Law. Barcelona, for example, did it, and the results are there. Since 2024, the price of new rentals has fallen by 2.7%," highlighted Sánchez, who warned that "wherever" this legislation "is not applied," referring to territories governed by the PP, "prices are rising in an absolutely unbridled way."
"Where action is taken, where the market is intervened in, there are results, and where it is not, the problem worsens, that's how clear it is. And that is why I believe it is important to apply all those tools that we have from the State to be able to face the biggest housing crisis that Spain is experiencing," he concluded.