How to tackle the housing problem

According to the CIS (National Institute of Statistics and Census), housing is now the main concern of Spaniards, given its scarcity, high price, and, consequently, its difficulty in accessing it. This is a burning issue, requiring a complex solution. Therefore, any proposal that sheds light and hope on how to address it is welcome. For example, the book La vivienda social y seguros (Social and Affordable Housing ), significantly subtitled Análisis y propuesta para un derecho constitucional (Analysis and Proposals for a Constitutional Right) , written by Joan Clos.

The author's CV and the knowledge he has accumulated over his career support the interest of this work: a doctor by training, Clos was mayor of Barcelona (1997-2006), played a key role in the management of the Olympic accounts and in the urban reform of the historic center of the city, before becoming Minister of Industry (2006-2008), ambassador to Turkey or Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and executive director of its Human Settlements Program, UN-Habitat (2010-2017).

⁄ An essential national agreement that articulates all agents, private and public, has not been reached.

With this background, Clos addresses various aspects of the problem in his book. He begins with the background of the current housing crisis: the Land Law promoted by José María Aznar's government, which liberalized its use; the years of rampant construction and corruption that led to the bursting of the real estate bubble after the 2008 crash; and the halt in public investment in housing, all factors contributing to the current shortage. He continues with a distinction between the various types of social housing, a defense of urban planning as a guarantee of effective growth in the housing stock, and a list of proposals to reverse its current deficit, particularly in rental housing, a reflection of social inequality.

From a social democratic perspective, Clos defends the need to place housing among the main pillars of the welfare state, increasing public investment in it. He points out, in this regard, that healthcare accounts for 7% of GDP, and education 5%, not to mention pensions (12%). Meanwhile, public investment in housing, for which he proposes between 3 and 3.5% of GDP, currently stands at 0.2% of GDP.

This latter percentage is very low in absolute terms. Even more so in relative terms, if we compare it, for example, with that of other European Union member states. And it seems to require correction, given that the percentage of immigrants in Spain now exceeds 18% of the population, new family models are being imposed, and failure to resolve the problem has serious social and economic consequences.

In recent years, the architectural field has made progress in research and the definition of a new housing model that addresses urgent environmental challenges. However, the same has not been done in the area of ​​housing policies. We know what the homes of the future should be like, but the necessary public resources have not been provided to alleviate this social deficit (except in the Basque Country and Navarre). This is largely because an essential national agreement has not been reached that articulates all stakeholders, both private and public, and all administrations with jurisdiction over housing, in order to reach a consensus on how to resolve, or at least mitigate, the problem of housing shortages.

Joan Clos's book, which lists twelve proposals for action in its final section, shows us a path to follow. Perhaps those who prioritize only self-interest when undertaking housing development will not share these proposals. But those who remember Article 47 of the Spanish Constitution, which establishes access to decent housing and the obligation of public authorities to create the conditions to make this possible, will.

Joan Clos Social and Affordable Housing Asymmetric Editions. 197 pages. 22 euros.