Barcelona mayor defends ban on tourist flats saying ‘drastic’ action needed to cut housing costs

Jaume Collboni determined to follow through with plan that he says will return 10,000 properties to city's residents

The decision made headlines around the world, sparking surprise and threats of billion-euro lawsuits. But months after officials in Barcelona announced plans to rid the city of tourist flats by late 2028, the city's mayor has described it as a drastic" but sorely needed move to rein in the surging cost of housing.

It's very drastic but it has to be because the situation is very, very difficult," Jaume Collboni said in one of his first interviews with international media since the June announcement. In Barcelona, like other big European cities, the number one problem we have is housing."