Seven families evicted at once from a building in Raval

BarcelonaAround twenty residents gathered this morning in front of number 24 Tigre Street, in Barcelona's Raval neighborhood, to protest the second eviction attempt against seven families from the building. This time, however, the neighbors' solidarity wasn't enough, and the court officials and the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) carried out the court order and evicted the affected residents, including several teenagers and a 90-year-old woman, according to the Ciutat Vella Housing Union. Municipal sources clarified that the 90-year-old woman was not evicted, although she is among those affected. The union maintains that the seven affected families had valid rental contracts and were up-to-date on their payments. In fact, the same sources added that "officially," it was a "precautionary eviction following a ruling that considers the building to be at risk of collapse." However, the union maintains that there are "two reports prepared by the fire department" that contradict the ruling and certify that the building is sufficiently stable and "there is no risk of collapse." In fact, according to the union, one of the biggest "contradictions" in this case is that the eviction is due to an "alleged risk" to the families, but, on the other hand, three other families (four, according to the City Council) still live in the building and will not be evicted because "they have previously been involved in legal proceedings."

The protests began early in the morning. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) closed several streets in the neighborhood to facilitate the eviction, which began shortly after 11:00 AM. By that time, the first family, consisting of four people, had already left the blog. One of them was crying and lamenting that the blog wasn't "so bad" that they had to be evicted. The neighbors who gathered at the entrance also criticized the owners—who remained inside the building—for carrying out the eviction despite having two favorable reports from the fire department. During the eviction process, there were also tense moments due to the anxiety generated among the affected residents by the entire operation. This newspaper has tried unsuccessfully to contact the blog's owners, the company Hermanas Sabadell Coca Comunidad de Bienes. Allegations of real estate harassment

"For months, [the residents] have been harassed by the landlord, who wants them to leave their homes so the building can be renovated and rents increased," denounces the Ciutat Vella Housing Union. They also assert that "to achieve this, the landlord has intimidated the residents, urging them to leave, refusing to carry out necessary fumigations, and refusing to pay the December rent." Furthermore, they criticize the fact that no alternative housing has been offered to the seven affected families in the midst of a cold snap. "They've been told to find a boarding house, paying out of their own pockets, and see if they can afford it," Martí, a spokesperson for the union, told ARA. The Barcelona City Council, for its part, explains that SIPHO—the Intervention and Mediation Service for Housing Loss and Squatting in Barcelona—"is monitoring the situation of the affected households." "Of the seven affected families, two have alternative housing," the City Council stated. "Of the remaining five, two have found alternative housing on their own through their support network, and three have been referred to the social services center where they are being assisted and their cases will be reviewed individually," they added. The union warns that this eviction "sets a very worrying precedent" for legal certainty and tenants' rights, "because it implies that even paying rent is not a guarantee of stability," they pointed out. Wednesday's eviction was the second attempt against the blog. The first occurred on December 23, and the union asserts that it was served with only 24 hours' notice and without prior notification to Social Services.