Barcelona and the EIB Strengthen Partnership to Expand Sustainable Public Housing and Support Vulnerable Residents

Barcelona and the EIB Strengthen Partnership to Expand Sustainable Public Housing and Support Vulnerable Residents

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank and the Barcelona City Council have signed a €113 million agreement to develop nine social housing projects that will deliver 640 new homes for around 2,040 people between 2026 and 2030. The initiative—part of the EIB’s Housing Action Plan—prioritizes women and vulnerable groups and promotes energy-efficient, inclusive housing. The signing, held during a major housing innovation conference in Barcelona, also highlighted the EIB’s new Housing TechEU initiative to scale innovation in affordable housing. Leaders including Nadia Calviño, Jaume Collboni, Ioannis Tsakiris, and Jordi Valls reaffirmed the shared goal of tackling the housing crisis and promoting sustainable urban growth in Europe.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 30-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Barcelona City Council, through the Municipal Institute for Housing and Renovation of Barcelona (IMHAB), have signed a new €113 million lending facility to boost the city’s public housing development between 2026 and 2030. The funding will support the construction of nine new social housing projects, delivering around 640 energy-efficient homes designed to benefit approximately 2,040 residents, with a strong focus on supporting women and vulnerable groups.

The newly financed developments will adhere to high environmental and accessibility standards, ensuring that new units not only expand Barcelona’s affordable housing stock but also contribute to sustainability and social inclusion goals. Around 70% of future residents are expected to be women, and many units will incorporate design elements that address women’s specific needs related to safety, accessibility, and comfort.

This initiative builds on the EIB’s long-standing collaboration with IMHAB, which has already enabled the financing of over 2,300 social rental units, most of which are completed or near completion. The latest financing reinforces Barcelona’s commitment to addressing its pressing housing shortage, promoting inclusive urban regeneration, and securing access to quality housing for its citizens.

The signing ceremony took place during the “Building Change: Boosting Innovation for Affordable and Sustainable Housing in Europe” conference in Barcelona, co-organized by the EIB Group and the City of Barcelona. The event brought together municipal leaders, financial institutions, and industry experts to explore innovation in sustainable housing construction and to present the EIB’s €400 million Housing TechEU initiative—a new program designed to accelerate innovation in affordable and energy-efficient housing technologies.

Nadia Calviño, President of the EIB Group, emphasized the importance of the collaboration:
“This agreement reaffirms our commitment to tackling housing challenges in Barcelona. One in every four euros the EIB has invested in Catalonia this year supports housing, with a special focus on helping young people access homes. This demonstrates how European cooperation can translate into real social impact.”

Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona, added:
“This new agreement with the EIB is another step toward expanding public housing in our city. Collaboration between local and European institutions is essential to guarantee the right to live and stay in Barcelona. We must work together to respond to a housing crisis that threatens the social balance of our communities.”

Ioannis Tsakiris, EIB Vice President, highlighted the broader significance of the project:
“Barcelona is a vibrant and growing city, facing major housing pressures. Through this project, we are enabling more people—particularly women and vulnerable families—to access affordable, sustainable homes. The EIB’s Housing TechEU initiative will further help cities innovate, reduce costs, and build better housing faster, turning Europe’s social and climate goals into real benefits for citizens.”

In his opening address at the conference, Jordi Valls, Deputy Mayor for Economy, Housing, Finance, and Tourism, emphasized that the financing supports Barcelona’s Pla Viure housing strategy, a key element in addressing the city’s ongoing housing crisis.

The project contributes directly to the EIB Group’s Strategic Roadmap 2024–2027 and its Climate Bank Roadmap Phase 2 (2026–2030), advancing Europe’s broader objectives in climate action, sustainability, and social infrastructure development.

About the EIB commitment to strengthening Europe’s housing sector and Housing TechEU

The EIB Group is working closely with the European Commission, national governments, cities, and promotional banks to strengthening Europe’s housing sector by providing the finance and expertise needed to build more innovative, energy efficient and affordable homes. The EIB Group builds its affordable housing approach on three core priorities: support for innovative and sustainable housing construction techniques, renovation of Europe`s aging housing stock and building of new affordable housing.

To accelerate progress, the EIB Group has launched an Action Plan for Affordable and Sustainable Housing  aimed at increasing financing across Europe to more than €4 billion in 2025, end-to-end support, and faster market solutions. As part of this Action Plan, the EIB Board authorized a first-of-its-kind €400 million HousingTechEU initiative to support mid-cap and large companies in the EU housing market to accelerate industrial, technological and construction innovation. This new funding will help develop new construction materials, machinery and engineering to improve the quality and lower the costs of housing, while boosting European innovation and competitiveness.

To make it easier for local authorities, developers, and communities to access support, the Group has created the “More homes. Better homes” online portal, connecting housing stakeholders with the advice, funding, and financing they need. This web portal was endorsed by the European Commission as a first step towards the Pan-European Investment Platform.

For a comprehensive view of the EIB Group initiatives to support affordable housing in Europe visit More homes. Better homes.

Access to the opening remarks of EIB Group President Nadia Caliviño here: President Calviño’s opening remarks at the Barcelona housing conference

Photo caption from left to right: Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni, EIB Vice President Ioannis Tsakiris

Background information

EIB

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The EIB finances investments in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world and Europe’s capital markets union.

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the EU targets cohesion regions, where per-capita income is below the EU average, while almost 60% of annual EIB Group investments support climate action and environmental sustainability.

In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024, helping power the country’s green and digital transition and promote economic growth, competitiveness and better services for its people.

High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.

Media contact:
Maite Cordero
m.corderomunoz@eib.org
+34 606 66 82 62

Press Office
press@eib.org
+352 43791

SOURCE: European Investment Bank