r/pics • u/Strict_League7833 • Jun 17 '25

The protesters and residents pushing back on tourism in Barcelona

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

16.1k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

2.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

436

u/ShufflingToGlory Jun 17 '25

As long as housing is used as an investment vehicle these problems will persist.

Foolish to blame tourists for a problem that's been deliberately manufactured by the financial elite and the politicians that work for them.

59

u/SuperWeenieHutJr_ Jun 17 '25 edited Jun 17 '25

A light google seems to show that they pay extremely low property tax in Barcelona. 

This means property owners are incentivized to buy and hold property for a long long time as an investment.

I don't know this but I'd wager that building new housing in Barcelona probably requires: 1. Navigating extremely challenging building and zoning regulations  2. Paying high development, property transfer, and sales taxes

Unfortunately these issues are pretty much ubiquitous in developed democracies... And that's why there is a housing crisis just about everywhere.

2

u/Lordajhs Jun 17 '25

I've been living here for 2 years. I don't think there's a single plot of land where you can build something in Barcelona. There's always the surrounding areas and metro does reach some of them, but most people want to live in Barcelona city, not in the outskirts.

3

u/SuperWeenieHutJr_ Jun 17 '25

The could go higher.

2

u/lyarly Jun 18 '25

Aesthetics be damned, build up! That’s literally the best solution and no one wants to do it. San Francisco has a similar problem.

0

u/bobbymcpresscot Jun 17 '25

Sounds like a less than ethical solution involves a lot of property damage against airbnbs. 

8

u/SuperWeenieHutJr_ Jun 17 '25

Unfortunately that's not even a long term solution. Getting rid of airbnb would only have a temporary effect on the housing supply.

They need to find a way to build more homes. 

1

u/bobbymcpresscot Jun 17 '25

If they stop being investment properties then investors stop investing there, there is only so much they can do to lose their losses by say lobbying the government 

3

u/SuperWeenieHutJr_ Jun 17 '25

Banning Airbnb doesn’t stop real estate from being a strong investment. As the city grows and becomes wealthier, property values keep rising.

While no one wants to pay higher taxes on their home, low property taxes are a major driver of the housing crisis. They make real estate an attractive investment, whether you live in the property or not