Barcelona – September 18, 2026 -- Barcelona City Council will launch HOWS Barcelona – Housing World Summit, a new international congress on urban and affordable housing, running November 3-5 at the Gran Via venue alongside the Smart City Expo World Congress.
Congress assembles 100+ speakers across 20 sessions on housing crisis
Organized by Fira de Barcelona, the three-day program will feature more than 100 speakers across 20 sessions, targeting cities, housing providers, real estate developers, investors, non-profit organizations and academia. The event is positioned to become a platform for debate and innovation addressing what organizers call one of the most pressing challenges facing cities today.
Five themes structure the agenda from land policy to financing
The program centers on five key areas: Urban Planning & Land Policy to increase housing supply; Housing Regulation for public and affordable housing delivery; Building Innovation to accelerate housing construction; Renovation, Retrofit & Reuse to improve existing stock quality; and Social and Affordable Housing alongside financing mechanisms for development and investment.
Mayors from international cities to hold closed-door housing summit
HOWS Barcelona will host the Housing Mayors Meeting, a closed-door working session bringing together mayors and senior housing officials from international cities. A parallel open-format Housing Mayors Roundtable will feature mayors and global urban leaders discussing best practices and collaborative solutions.
Barcelona folds standalone renovation forum into new congress structure
The Barcelona Housing and Renovation Forum (FHAR), previously run independently across four editions, will now be integrated into the HOWS program. FHAR sessions will cover expanding public housing supply, renovating public and private housing stock, and housing market regulation.
EU institutions and UN-Habitat back new housing platform
HOWS is backed by the Government of Catalonia, the Spanish Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, and the European Union. Collaborating organizations include the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), C40 Cities, UN-Habitat and Metropolis.