Work is already underway on the construction of a new public housing development at 26, Binèfar Street, in the La Verneda i la Pau neighbourhood in the Sant Martí district. The Barcelona City Council has granted the surface rights to the land to the Cooperativa Fem Ciutat SCCL which is responsible for building 46 affordable rented flats two of which will be adapted for people with reduced mobility The building will have a ground floor for commercial use and 8 floors The flats will have a surface area of between 51 and 57 m² a living/dining room and an outdoor terrace of between 6 and 12 m² the flats will have cross-ventilation and direct natural light in all rooms Hot water will be produced by an aerothermal system with a heat pump complemented by photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of the building This new public housing development has been made possible thanks to the collaboration between the City Council and the social and cooperative sector of the city through the ESAL Agreement Signed in 2020 by the City Council and the main associations of cooperatives and social housing foundations the ESAL Agreement is a pioneering mechanism for cooperation with the third sector whereby public land is allocated to non-profit organisations and the land is transferred This makes it possible to promote the construction and renovation of public housing for rent and the transfer of the right of use (co-housing) through the creation of surface rights It is a tool that promotes the growth of the public housing stock while diversifying the range of actors involved The projects submitted must comply with the following criteria: