Tanca Tanca

Housing Glossary

You will find information here on all topics relating to housing in Barcelona

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Accrued interest

The interest applied as a penalisation when the debtor does not comply with repayment obligations. The amount must be established in the contract.

Active supermortgage

This allows the client to choose their loan's benchmark index (MIBOR at three months, six months or a year) so that payment can benefit from lower interest rates sooner.

Adaptable instalment

Characteristic of UCI superloans that allow the borrower to not pay one instalment a year for the first three years if there are problems due to holidays, extraordinary expenses, etc.

Advanced cancellation fee

A commission arising from the financial risk involved in the advanced cancellation of an operation. The applied commission compensates the financial institution for its financial losses.

AEDE

Direct state aid for paying the deposit on a property.

Affordable housing

Group of social housing or dwellings from social renovation projects that are sold or rented at below-market prices.

Affordable rent

The cost of renting these dwellings is below market prices after being included in operations concerning the rented flat pool, social renovation or social housing promotions.

Amortisation

Payment made to repay a loan.

Amortisation period

The duration of the loan. The contract establishes the date of the first and last payments. The longer the period, the lower the payments are, but the higher the interest. You therefore pay more in the end. The monthly instalment should not exceed 35% of your net income.

API

Estate agent. A qualified professional who acts as an intermediary between the two interested parties to facilitate the signing of a real estate contract, which can be a rental agreement, a sales agreement or another similar contract. They usually charge a percentage of the sales price as compensation or commission.

Applicant

A citizen who makes a registration application to the Barcelona Social Housing Applicants Registry, and who represents the other members of the dwelling unit included in the application.

APR

Annual Equivalent Rate. Effective annual cost of the mortgage in terms of interest, commissions and the repayment period. To compare loans, it is not enough to just look at the lowest APR, you also have to compare the conditions, the repayment period and the distribution of instalment payments.

Arbitri municipal de plusvàlua

Former denomination of the capital gains tax on landed property.

Assessment

The value of a dwelling certified by a specialised assessment company, in accordance with the mortgage market law. This certificate not only indicates the real value of the property, it also serves as a reference for obtaining the necessary financing.

Authorisation

Document in which the owner authorises the tenant to carry out building work in the dwelling's interior.

Close glossary

Housing offices only offer face-to-face assistance by prior appointment, so check out the “Housing calls you” service here to receive the most appropriate personalised assistance. If you also need assistance in energy rights, book an appointment with an energy-advice point (PAE) by clicking here. On the other hand, if you reside in an IMHAB public dwelling you can consult our contact, management and processing channels here.​

  1. Home
  2. Latest news
  3. The Social Housing Council aligns with the right to housing through the Pla Viure

The Social Housing Council aligns with the right to housing through the Pla Viure

The Social Housing Council aligns with the right to housing through the Pla Viure

11/12/2024 - 09:46

Housing. The City Council has presented its commitment to increasing the stock of affordable and social housing, renovating and improving housing and combating vulnerability to the participatory body of the Barcelona Housing Consortium.

Barcelona City Council has presented its action plan to strengthen the right to a decent home for the coming years to the Barcelona Social Housing Council. In the plenary session held this Monday, chaired by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, with the members of the participatory body of the Barcelona Housing Consortium, the Council presented the Pla Viure, the strategic framework for housing policy in the city.

The origins of the Pla Viure are based on a transversal approach to work with all citizens on the universal right to housing. This line of action focuses on sustainability and well-being, taking into account the economic and social changes in Barcelona and the current legal framework.

The main objectives of this plan are:

  • Universalising the right to housing: increasing the stock of affordable and social housing.
  • Renovate and improve housing: from sustainability to accessibility and comfort.
  • Addressing vulnerability: the demographic challenge and life stages.

The Consortium has undertaken to carry out several actions within the Pla Viure, such as the development of a new strategic housing plan. The Pla Viure not only defines objectives, but also outlines actions and services in this area for the period 2025-2032.

The next steps, scheduled for 2025, will be to continue the action plan through meetings with the city’s entities and districts to launch the participatory process ‘decidim.cat’. The culmination of this first phase is expected in May 2025, following meetings with technical teams to draft the first version.

Internal and external work has been carried out to make an initial diagnosis of the current housing situation in Barcelona, using data from annual reports, the review of the previous Housing Plan, studies from the Metropolitan Housing Observatory (O-HB), the Metropolitan Urban Master Plan and primary data from the Generalitat de Catalunya.

The Right to Housing Plan continues to consolidate its actions in 2023

The plenary session also analysed the balance of the right to housing in 2023 and the evolution of all the actions carried out, reflecting the guarantee that the resources allocated are making the right to housing more effective. The most notable data are:

  • The evolution of the housing payment aid between 2015 and 2023 is positive: it has increased from 29 million euros, with a special focus on stable aid, to 68 million euros.
  • As part of the expansion of the affordable housing stock, 849 additional affordable homes will be managed by the Municipal Institute of Housing and Renovation of Barcelona (IMHAB) in 2023.
  • Between 2016 and 2023, the number of public or publicly supported properties in the affordable housing stock will increase by 6,606, which will allow the accommodation of approximately 16,400 new people.

The Barcelona Social Housing Council

With almost 20 years of history, the Council is an advisory and participatory body on housing policy in the city, within the framework of the Barcelona Housing Consortium, formed by the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Barcelona City Council. Its purpose is to act as a tool for generating opinions, proposals and promoting analysis.

At present, the plenary is made up of around 100 members representing: the Government of Catalonia and the City Council, municipal political groups, public organisations and companies involved in housing planning and construction, municipal participatory sectoral councils, non-profit social organisations, associations and social support organisations for access to housing, cooperatives, neighbourhood movements, trade unions, social foundations, universities, professional schools and associations, among others.

Related links

More info