Barcelona will have 475 new social apartments for the elderly in 2024
Barcelonans over 65 years of age represent 21.3% of the city’s population, as reflected in the latest census. Even more and more people exceed the century of life. Despite living in a large city, loneliness is a global urban problem, aggravated by the pandemic. In the case of Barcelona, some 70,000 citizens suffer from it, according to municipal data. For the elderly to enjoy a full life in their last stage of aging, access to affordable housing that is adequate to their needs is a crucial aspect. In this sense, the Consistory reported yesterday that it is building 475 social rental flats for this group. With these new homes, Barcelona will reach almost 2,000 homes with services for the elderly after the municipal government began the first public promotion of these characteristics two decades ago.
This current 33% increase will not resolve the city’s housing deficit, which is why Mayor Ada Colau yesterday encouraged the rest of the administrations to become more involved. “We invite the Generalitat and the State, with more resources and competence than the municipalities, to really integrate this model into the portfolio of social care services and will make it a priority to develop it in the coming decades,” Colau said during a visit to one of the future homes.
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The new promotions are located in Sant Martí, Eixample, Sant Andreu and Gràcia
Specifically, the local executive has six new promotions underway in different phases of construction that are distributed in the districts of Sant Martí, Eixample, Sant Andreu and Gràcia. The first planned to be inhabited will be next January and is located on Puigcerdà street with 48 flats, in the Besòs i el Maresme neighborhood, while the last one will be ready for October 2024, on Mare de Déu Montserrat avenue, in the former site of the quiron clinic.
These are protected rental flats, owned by the Municipal Housing Institute, which are reserved for people over 65 with difficulties in accessing a home. The objective is for the tenants to develop their vital project with the maximum possible autonomy, which is why activities are promoted in common spaces to promote neighborly relations. Different services are also included, such as telecare, cleaning, laundry, geriatric professionals to go to or bathrooms equipped to prevent falls. The average price of each home is about 444 euros per month and has a municipal subsidy of 62% to cover the costs. The average age of the inhabitants is 81 years and 72% are women.
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