Donostia / San Sebastián

San Sebastián, a popular tourist city in the Basque Country, is grappling with a severe housing crisis. The city boasts the highest house prices in Spain, with an average cost of €5,191 per square meter, making it unaffordable for many residents. Public housing accounts for less than 2% of all dwellings, exacerbating the issue. The city's rental market is small, with only 23% of households renting, a trend common in Spain where homeownership is heavily favored by policy.

The housing crisis is driven by gentrification and mass tourism, which have led to a shift from residential to tourist-oriented housing. This has resulted in the displacement of long-term residents, particularly young people and low-income families. To address this, EH Bildu's candidate for mayor, Juan Karlos Izagirre, advocates for increasing public rental housing at various price points to compete with private landlords and vulture funds.

The city aims to build more public housing and rehabilitate neighborhoods to make housing more affordable and sustainable. This includes investing in flood prevention and neighborhood rehabilitation projects, as well as promoting public rental housing at different price levels to cater to a broader range of incomes.

The role of housing cooperatives in San Sebastian, a city in the Basque Country of Spain, is significant in addressing housing challenges and promoting affordable housing. Housing cooperatives in San Sebastian are part of a broader trend in Spain where cooperatives have emerged as a low-cost housing strategy, particularly around large cities. These cooperatives often focus on providing affordable housing to lower and middle-income households, who face difficulties in the traditional housing market.

In recent years, new housing cooperatives have emerged in San Sebastian, contributing to the city's housing landscape. For instance, the NETCO project, a network of collaborative housing programs, has been highlighted as a notable initiative in the region. This project aims to provide affordable housing through cooperative models, fostering social inclusion and community-led housing solutions.

The city promotes cooperative housing by supporting new projects and initiatives. For example, public land concessions are used to facilitate accessible building projects, similar to those in Lisbon. Additionally, the city's housing policies emphasize the importance of cooperative housing models in addressing the housing crisis, reflecting a broader European trend towards cooperative and community-led housing.