A couple with two minor children was evicted this Thursday from a municipal property in Girona. The procedure was carried out while the family was attending Social Services and the eldest son was in class, according to a complaint by the Girona Housing Union.
Tension between the Housing Union and the City Council
The union maintains that the family, composed of a 4-year-old child and a 5-month-old baby, has resided in Girona for six years, although they have not been able to regularize their administrative situation. They report that they first occupied a building in the Barri Vell owned by a company and, at the end of 2024, accessed another apartment which they later discovered was municipal.
From the outset, according to the collective, the family attempted to negotiate with the Municipal Housing and Social Services Office to reach a social rental agreement. The union states that the only proposal received was to spend four nights in a shelter.
The City Council filed a criminal complaint that led to a precautionary eviction carried out this Thursday. The union describes this case as the first eviction carried out by a municipal government led by the CUP in Girona.
"It's terrible that it was done without offering real alternatives" - Marina Parés, Girona Housing Union
The collective states that there are two other families with minors in municipal housing who are also facing the threat of eviction. They demand the immediate suspension of these processes until a real alternative is guaranteed for the affected families
The City Council defends its actions and offers provisional relocation
Amy Sabaly, councilwoman for Equality and Social Justice and Cooperation, explained that the apartment was intended for the Inclusion Exchange, a resource for vulnerable individuals and families. Sabaly assures that the family was the victim of a scam, as someone fraudulently sold them the keys to the apartment while it was awaiting renovations.
"It's not simple. We don't have enough resources to provide an immediate response to all families in this situation" - Amy Sabaly, Girona City Council
The council proposed that the family file a report for the scam they suffered. Furthermore, the apartment had already been allocated to another family through the municipal process of support for people with housing needs. For this reason, according to Sabaly, the occupation cannot be regularized and an alternative must be sought.
The councilwoman assured that the City Council has met on several occasions with the family to request the handover of the keys, avoid the intervention of the Mossos d'Esquadra, and continue working on a housing solution
The City Council guarantees that the family will not sleep on the street and that they will be provisionally relocated to a municipal resource today while a suitable social housing alternative is still being sought, together with third-sector entities.
Claims and Next Steps
The Girona Housing Union has called a press conference for this Friday. They intend to present the case, demand the suspension of the two eviction processes they consider to be underway, and call for a stable and quality housing alternative for the evicted family.
Fàtima Aatar, spokesperson for the local branch of the union, requests that the municipal government halt the evictions and sit down to negotiate with the organization.
- The evicted family has a 4-year-old son and a 5-month-old baby
- The union denounces that the only alternative offered is four nights in a shelter
- The City Council assures that the family was the victim of a real estate scam
- There are currently two more families in a similar situation under threat of eviction