Tourism makes living in Barcelona too expensive – level 3

Tourism makes living in Barcelona too expensive

15-04-2025 07:00

Tourism in Barcelona has caused a significant rise in housing prices. Many locals cannot afford to rent apartments anymore, especially in the city center.

The city council wants to stop this problem by banning tourist apartments from 2028. People like Alicia Conejero and Nadia Chaibi Kaddouri are protesting because rents have increased too much. Nadia is a single mother who lost her old apartment because investors wanted to turn it into tourist housing. Now, she lives in a temporary home made from recycled shipping containers.

Many landlords prefer to rent to tourists because they can earn much more money. This makes it very hard for local people, especially those with low incomes, to find a place to live. The city has also created cooperative housing projects where people can live without fear of rent increases. Alicia now lives in one of these homes and pays a fair price.

Barcelona wants to keep tourism but also protect its residents. The goal is to find a balance that works for everyone.

Difficult words: landlord (a person who rents out homes), cooperative housing (a group that owns and manages housing together).

You can watch the video news lower on this page.

Why do some residents protest the current rental practices, and what measures have been introduced to help those facing soaring housing costs?

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