Celestino Merino is 77 years old and has lived in his apartment on Salou Street in Sants for 45 years. However, life hasn't been easy for him in the last year: seven months ago he was widowed, and at the same time, the real estate company Second House bought his building and now, he says, they want to evict him from the apartment where he has always lived with his wife. One loss is compounded by another, which is yet to come: "I've lived my whole life here, with her, and now it seems I'll have to leave." His eyes well up with tears, but he accepts that if the real estate company doesn't agree to negotiate, he'll have to say goodbye to all his memories in a few days. "It will be hard, I'll miss the neighborhood a lot," he admits. This retired pastry chef is the oldest resident affected by the project launched by Second House, which has also bought two other buildings in the Catalan capital, one on Tapioles Street and the other on Cortines Street. But Celestino's case is not unique: in total, there are almost a dozen neighbors whose rental contracts the real estate company has decided not to renew when they expire, and they face imminent eviction.