Protesters hold up masks of
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during a demonstration calling for a moratorium on evictions during the COVID pandemic to be extended. Photo: Thiago Prudêncio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Young people in Spain should be offered money to move out of their parents’ homes and pay rent elsewhere, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said. Sánchez, who leads a left-wing coalition government, has proposed a monthly €250 (about £213) housing subsidy for young people aged 18-35 who earn under €23,725 as part of a wider housing bill.Other proposals could also see rent caps introduced for corporate landlords who own multiple properties, to help vulnerable families and young adults struggling to pay their rent in major cities. “We need cohesive and sustainable cities that are clean and conducive to the emancipation of young people,” said Sánchez at the 1st Spanish Urban Forum, a housing conference run by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda.Spain has one of the highest rates of homeownership in the EU, with many young people forced to live with parents due to high rents, low wages, and high unemployment. On average, people in Spain leave their parents' homes aged 30, compared to the EU average of 26.4 years old.The bill comes at a time when Europeans are facing a growing housing crisis, from London to Berlin. This month, Berlin voted to expropriate housing off mega landlords to battle growing rents, a move that could see 240,000 flats come back into public control. Sánchez’s proposed bill is yet to be published but will need to be voted for by MPs before it passes into law.