"I have lived here for 45 years": the struggle of residents of three blocks in Barcelona to avoid being evicted from their homes
Housing unions claim that the real estate company has bought the properties and wants to evict more than a dozen residents "to renovate them and sell them at high prices."
BarcelonaCelestino 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 more than a dozen neighbors whose rental contracts the real estate agency has decided not to renew when they expire.
"They want to do what we call an operation of flipping"That is, buy cheap, do minimal renovations, and sell quickly and for a high price," explains Isi, spokesperson for the Renters' Union. "They're selling the apartments for between 340,000 and 370,000 euros, when we know the appraisal puts them at 235,000," says El Rodrigo. "The ads on the portals aren't of the apartment's actual condition, but rather computer renderings of how it could look [after the renovation]," he continues.
The residents are not willing to accept being evicted from their homes for what they call a "speculative operation." This Thursday morning they held a press conference. "We will stay in our homes and negotiate whatever is necessary to obtain new, decent contracts," Isi states. "I have always paid my rent religiously; I have never been late, never owed any money." “We want our leases renewed, and to be able to live at fair prices: you can’t live constantly waiting for a registered letter,” Rodrigo adds. To achieve this, they have mobilized with the support of the Tenants' Union and neighborhood housing unions. They are aware that they are not alone, as other apartment blocks in the Catalan city are already struggling, with Casa Orsola as a prime example. In their statement, they detail that the real estate company “is part of a family network that has operated in the rental business in Barcelona for decades.” Responding to ARA, Second House asserts that it “always acts in accordance with current regulations regarding urban leases,” and in the case of leases whose renewal is not mandatory.” “However, the company always maintains a dialogue with tenants and, when possible, tries to facilitate alternative solutions within the legal framework,” they state. The real estate company adds that it declines to make any further statements.
A "watered-down" bill
Beyond the real estate company's intentions, the unions also highlight cases of "malpractice" at the Cortinas property, "where renovations are underway." Furthermore, they also warned of the need to pass "an effective law against speculative purchases" that "protects all renters from evictions." In this regard, the residents' spokespeople assert that the draft currently being prepared by the PSC and Comuns and debated in Parliament is the prelude to a "very watered-down" law. "It doesn't prohibit practices such as..." flipping "It doesn't guarantee the renewal of contracts in the event of a large landlord buying an entire building. In other words, if this law came into effect today, it wouldn't protect tenants in properties like Second House, for example," explains Isi. "The proposal presented by the PSC and Comuns," the union asserts, "has serious limitations that could create loopholes preventing the law from being implemented and fails to achieve its goals." It should "specifically prohibit speculative purchases," it should require large landlords who buy buildings with tenants to offer new contracts to these residents, it should be "automatically applied"—that is, not dependent on the will of local councils—and it should also specifically limit profiteering or enrichment.
