Member of Catalan Parliament Mar Besses: “There’s no sense in purchasing property in Catalonia from an office on the other side of the world if not for speculation”

Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya wants parliament to take a position on a new motion to continue supporting access to housing as a right and to curb speculation by limiting the purchase of residential property by non-nationals. Esquerra made the motion this week, just as a European Union mission of MEPs visited Catalonia to analyse the housing crisis.

Esquerra has therefore called on the Spanish government to limit the purchase of housing by non-nationals in a motion that the plenary of the Parliament of Catalonia will vote on next week. The proposed motion specifies that only non-nationals who have permanent residence in the Spain or who have resided for at least five years in the territory where they wish to purchase a home may do so. With the aim of curbing property speculation, Esquerra’s draft also calls for restriction of foreign investment by those who wish to trade in property.

“You can’t buy property in Catalonia from an office on the other side of the world to speculate on it,” said Esquerra and Jovent Republicà member of the Catalan parliament, Mar Besses. Esquerra Republicana Secretary General, Elisenda Alamany, expressed the same during the visit of the European mission to Barcelona on Monday. “We want people to buy with a commitment to their city, which is the way to guarantee our identity and community life,” said Ms Alamany.

In addition, Esquerra also expressed the need to make changes to taxes in line with the defence, guarantee and broadening of the right to housing. In this regard, Esquerra means to reduce the property transfer tax on the purchase of first homes by residents in Catalonia. In the same vein, the motion also proposes the creation of a new tax on accumulation of property by holders of three or more residences.