In June 2022, the Barcelona City Council approved the inclusion of the municipal land located in Carrer del Gessamí, 11-13, in the ESAL agreement and launched a competition for cooperatives to build a cooperative building for shared use (or co-housing).

This Tuesday, 20 February, the Barcelona City Council, through the Municipal Institute for Housing and Renovation (IMHAB), signed the surface right to allow the construction of this block of flats in the Font de la Guatlla neighbourhood.

Cooperativa La Xarxaire will be responsible for the construction and management of this set of apartments, which will be rented out under official protection. The duration of the surface right will be 99 years from the signing of the contract.

According to the signed document, Cooperativa La Xarxaire undertakes to carry out the works within a maximum period of two years from the date of obtaining the building permit.

Development of the ESAL Agreement

The project in Carrer del Gessamí is part of the ESAL agreement, signed in 2020 by the Barcelona City Council and the main associations of cooperatives and social housing foundations. This agreement aims to be a pioneering mechanism of cooperation with the third sector, through the allocation of public land to non-profit organisations and the transfer of the land.

This makes it possible to promote the construction and renovation of public housing for rent and the transfer of the right of use (co-housing) through the creation of surface rights. It is a tool that promotes the growth of the public housing stock while diversifying the range of actors involved.

The ESAL agreement is an alliance between the Barcelona City Council and the Federació de Cooperatives d’Habitatges de Catalunya (FCHC), the Coordinadora de Fundacions d’Habitatge Social (Cohabitac), the Associació Xarxa d’Economia Solidària (XES) and the Associació de Gestors de Polítiques Socials d’Habitatge de Catalunya (GHS).

The projects submitted must comply with the following criteria:

• Speed and industrialisation of processing and construction or renovation of housing.
• Technical and economic capacity to guarantee execution of the work.
• Protected rental prices and right of use fees.
• Avoidance of projects all being given to a few developers.
• Climate emergency criteria.
• Fostering of community ties.

If you want to extend this information, you can visit the Accessible housing with social developers and cooperatives website.