Barcelona orders first expropriation of ’empty’ flat owned by a bank – The Telegraph

“Barcelona’s left-wing mayor Ada Colau has ordered the expropriation of an ‘empty’ flat owned by a bank, in a first for the city facing a shortage of homes.

Ms Colau, a former housing campaigner who started her second term as mayor last week, put to use a law passed by the Catalan parliament in 2016.

Under its terms local authorities can claim homes owned by companies that have many properties in their portfolios, if they are left vacant for two years or more.

The homes can remain under public control for four to ten years.”