The evicted in Mataró have one day to find a roof: "I'll either sleep on the street or squat."

Mataró"We only have three nights in the hostel, what next?" This question has haunted Maria Isabel and Jose Manuel since they were evicted from their home on Monday, along with more than 160 people living in the illegal campsite of the Cinco Sénias of Mataró. Tomorrow, Wednesday, is their last night staying; after that, they'll have to find a way to make ends meet. They're both sick; she has chronic kidney failure, undergoes dialysis three times a week, and is awaiting a kidney transplant. He can barely walk, has osteoarthritis, and is waiting for a medical panel to decide whether or not he deserves social benefits. Until now, they've been surviving on Maria Isabel's €500 disability pension, but they're clear they won't be able to rent anything before the meager solution offered by the City Council of the capital of Maresme runs out. "I'm already looking for things, but I need more time; I have no alternatives. Either I stay on the street or I squat," she explains resignedly.

Until now, they were paying €300 to the owner who was illegally exploiting the land, who has since disappeared and didn't notify them that the council would evict them on Monday. Sometimes they had gone without food to pay for it, and they are aware that with their current pension, they have no decent alternative to camping. That's why they are asking social services and the city council to offer them a solution, not to leave them on the street. The city's mayor, David Bote, has already warned them that there are no "magic" solutions and that "the options are very limited," although municipal sources assure that each case will be reviewed so that those who meet the requirements can access emergency housing, although the waiting list is long. Therefore, neither Maria Isabel nor Jose Manuel are very optimistic. "To live that shitty life, I'm getting off the train," he assures, his eyes watering. He wants to make it clear that he has always been a cheerful person, but that since the eviction, he hasn't felt like laughing.

In total, the city council has relocated sixty of the evicted people to hostels, including thirteen minors. There are hundreds more who have come to the council's social services, and according to those affected, dozens have slept wherever they could, such as in cars. This is the case of Verónica Mochón, who clarifies that it was only the first night and will now sleep at her sister's house until a solution is found. "We are like this because there are no homes to rent. We are working families; all we ask is for a place to live, a rent that we are going to pay," insists the affected family, who is one of the representatives who met with Bote this Tuesday to demand solutions. On the one hand, they are demanding an extension of hostel nights for those with no alternative and, on the other, the collection of belongings they couldn't take when they were evicted.

"We have a whole life; it was our home," laments Mochón, who asserts that they were unaware they would be evicted. Municipal sources have argued in the ARA that while the tenant of the land did not allow the technicians to enter, they put signs on the mailboxes to inform the neighbors. However, all the evicted people contacted by this newspaper stated that they were unaware of this. "We haven't seen any notice, we haven't received anything. If we had received any information, do you think we would have waited for this?" the victim asks. Maria Isabel and Jose Manuel also had no knowledge, and in fact, some of their medication was left at home. Starting Thursday, they will be able to make an appointment at City Hall, which expects them to be able to return to collect their belongings next week.

"The end of the eviction cycle"

Municipal sources justify the eviction by citing the high risk of fire in the camp and to ensure the safety of the people living there. This Tuesday, they continued inspecting the plots, removing fuel tanks and electrical connections. However, the Mataró Housing Union argues that this eviction is part of a "vicious cycle" that is increasingly affecting more people. "It's the end of the cycle of expulsion from the city. Before, they were tenants, couldn't afford it, and moved to this land. They had no other alternatives; many lived in substandard housing, and now they can no longer live anywhere in the municipality," argues Abril Hernández, a member of the union. Those affected are now waiting for the city council to rule on the requests they have submitted, but time is running out, as the deadline for staying at the hostel will expire on Thursday, and they may find themselves without any alternative.