Barcelona’s inclusive housing network provides accommodation for 4,612 people

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.

The Barcelona Inclusive Housing Network (XHIB) has been working since 2010 to provide homes where people at risk of exclusion can rebuild their lives and have access to social and educational support, labour advice and psychological support. The number of people in accommodation grew by 23% in 2023, compared to 2016.

The Barcelona Inclusive Housing Network is made up of Barcelona City Council and fifty non-profit organisations. It has been offering inclusive homes since 2010 to people who need them, facilitating access to safe and decent housing. Although the main sphere of action of the different organisations in the network is social exclusion, it also responds to matters relating to adolescence and youth, childhood, drug-dependency, mental health, functional diversity and more.

According to the 2023 inclusion census by the XHIB, 4,612 people had accommodation in these homes, some 26% more than in 2016. The number of inclusive homes in the city has also risen, from 667 in 2016 to 890 on 2023. Out of these, 497 have support, without 24-hour staff, and offer regular social and educational monitoring; 371 are supervised, without much staff presence and with occasional social and educational support, and 2 are assisted, with 24-hour staff and regular social and educational monitoring and support. The type and the intensity of the support offered in these flats changes according to the needs of each household.

The most common profiles of households living in the homes is that of a couple with or without children, followed by a single-parent family with an income of 1,047 euros a month, above the poverty threshold. People stay in the accommodation for 27 months on average.

Inclusive homes go beyond offering a roof over people’s head, as they provide social and educational support, work advice, psychological support and help with looking for work or training etc. They play a key role in combating the housing crisis, which is why the latest XHIB report highlights the need to add 221 more inclusive homes in the city, to be able to handle the increase in requests received.

In this respect, the City Council has announced the next inclusive housing call for 2025, with this need due to be included as part of the new Barcelona Housing Plan to increase the pool. The XHIB is also working to promote projects such as cohousing, create flats for more chronic and long-term profiles and offer a metropolitan vision of access to housing to ensure the same service in all municipalities.