The residents of the old military pavilions of La Seu d'Urgell urge an administrative intervention to save a property built in 1953. The current structure presents serious deficiencies that compromise the habitability and accessibility of the homes.
The community needs 1.5 million euros solely to install the ten elevators that would provide accessibility to the block. This figure is added to the 180,000 euros required to repair the deteriorated facade.
An apple with one hundred families affected
The complex occupies an entire block next to the Santa Magdalena neighborhood and is organized by ten independent staircases. A hundred families live inside, while two homes remain closed under state ownership.
The community president, Pili Gómez, warns that the economic situation of many residents is precarious. The lack of own resources prevents assuming the necessary works to maintain the building in decent conditions.
"The economic conditions of many of the families living in the pavilions are not favorable" - Pili Gómez, president of the community
The urgency transcends the aesthetic or structural. A neighbor with a disability depends on the installation of an elevator to be able to leave their home with autonomy.
The city council shifts responsibility
The homeowners' association proposed to the council to declare the building a Cultural Asset of Local Interest to facilitate aid. The mayor Joan Barrera rejected this path, considering the available municipal support insufficient.
"It would not be enough" - Joan Barrera, mayor of La Seu d'Urgell
The local executive has decided to transfer the problem to higher administrations to try to attract external funding. Meanwhile, the city council has only guaranteed the placement of trash cans and benches in the inner courtyard.
The uncertainty about who will bear the cost of the rehabilitation keeps the neighbors in a wait with no defined deadline. The cracks in the facade and the lack of elevators continue to be the daily reality for those who inhabit these pavilions.