The Problem of the Shortage of Primary Residence Housing

The Association of Property Developers of Catalonia has warned of the shortage of multi-family housing construction needed to meet Catalonia's demographic growth. Current estimates indicate that approximately 25,000 new housing units should be built each year, whereas only around 12,000 new homes are currently being completed annually. From the perspective of Finques Santa Cristina, S.L., and focusing on the municipalities of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Santa Cristina d'Aro, and Castell d'Aro, Platja d'Aro i s'Agaró, the situation is considerably more serious. For more than fifteen years, no multi-family residential developments have been built to meet the demand for primary residences, while the population in the area has continued to grow significantly. This imbalance has reduced the supply of existing homes available on the market and has driven housing prices upward, making home ownership increasingly unattainable for many families. According to Finques Santa Cristina, S.L., the outlook for the construction of new multi-family housing intended for primary residence in Sant Feliu de Guíxols and Santa Cristina d'Aro remains virtually nonexistent in the short and medium term due to the strict urban planning regulations imposed by the Government of Catalonia, which make the development of new buildable land unfeasible.