Housing is already the main problem for several generations of Spaniards. Not only for young people, but also more and more adults who cannot afford a housing solution even if they have an income that is in the average.
A drama that does not have a simple solution and that, to make matters worse, causes the importation to Spain of situations that border on inhumanity. In big cities like Barcelona, ??Madrid or Sant Sebastià, the worst practices, more typical of other European capitals or even third world countries, are beginning to arrive.
It is enough to take a look at real estate portals to see that anyone who can buy or rent a modest flat in a central area of ??a Spanish city is privileged. The offer is scarce and this is where the problem lies. The few opportunities that exist last for seconds and in some cases the abuses are obvious.
This is the case of the latest bargain published in Barcelona: a penthouse of 12 m2, located in Travessera de les Corts and at the modest price of 650 euros per month. The ad is real, there is no trick: “Because it is so small it is like a room, as it is all diaphanous”, describes the owner, “and we have put the minimum in it to be able to cook, cool and wash , as we will put a toilet, a small sink and a floor shower”. As is, no filters. More advantages, says the ad: “Ideally, it has a lift and direct access to the communal terrace”. The penthouse is promoted as “ideal for students who want to live alone instead of sharing a flat in a room”. It doesn’t end here: “Two months advance deposit”.
This is one of the hundreds of ads bordering on subhumanity that abound on rental pages. In Spain, old storage rooms and electricity and water meter rooms are rented as if they were homes. If someone is willing to live there, there is business.
The problem is not unique to Spanish cities. A similar ad has gone viral in Paris these days promoting a modest flat of just 10 m2 with a view of the Eiffel Tower. The problem is that the toilet is next to the bed. The advantage is that it has a privileged view of the Seine.
It is true that in Spain there is a housing law that, it is clear, cannot solve these situations, which, on the other hand, are legal. It remains to be seen whether the new Ministry of Housing is able to offer some hope.
