In a few days, housing cooperative La Avanzada will be putting 2,100 apartments on sale at giveaway prices: between 120,000 and 170,000 euros for flats of around 80 square meters.

Antonia has number 1,084. She is keeping her daughter's place in the queue.  "My daughter is paying 800 euros a month in rent at the moment," she says. "She earns 1,000 euros a month, and her husband is on a similar wage. So financially, they're pretty much up against it."

The housing being offered has not been built yet, and it is not even known where it will be going up! But in times of crisis, trust rules. José Moreno, the chairman of the cooperative, has been dubbed 'Robin Hood'.

For years now, he's been selling flats with a 3% profit margin. "I make under 1% profit myself. That's fine by me, I can tell you that that's plenty of money," he says.. What about other promoters? They're not making 1% - they're on something like 80 or 100% profit! »

The highly coveted apartments are destined for people under 35. Young Spaniards have been worst hit by the crises in housing and finance. "I feel helpless," a young man called David told FRANCE 24. "I've tried several times to become independent, but I've never managed it. For me, the fact that they're offering these apartments here is my chance to leave my parents' house."

According to Ruben Sanchez, president of the Movement for decent housing, more and more young people who cannot find cheap housing have to continue living with their parents. The age at which they move out is already among the highest in Europe – on average, when they are over 30.