Ainara Fernández

Some buildings cannot be effectively rehabilitated through conventional grant schemes alone. Fragmented ownership, vulnerable households, technical deficiencies, limited management capacity and wider neighbourhood challenges can combine to prevent renovation from taking place. Barcelona’s approach to complex buildings addresses these barriers through a more intensive model of public intervention, combining technical, social and financial support to make rehabilitation possible. This presentation will explore how public authorities can intervene when building renovation becomes not only a construction challenge, but also a question of governance, social support and long-term neighbourhood regeneration.

Barcelona’s experience in housing rehabilitation brings together many of the challenges cities face when upgrading existing homes: ageing buildings, complex ownership structures, vulnerable households, limited investment capacity, and the need for coordination between public authorities, property managers, and residents. Through the city’s work on complex buildings and neighbourhood regeneration, the session will explore how local tools, public support, and community engagement can make rehabilitation more feasible, inclusive, and effective, turning Barcelona’s practice into a broader conversation on urban housing renewal.