Jennifer's eviction is scheduled for May 14 at her home on Passeig Mata in Reus. The neighbor has lived in the Antiga Casa dels Mestres building for almost ten years and faces the loss of her home after a decade of legal instability.
The situation originated in 2021 when a court issued a restraining order against her ex-partner for gender-based violence. This judicial measure left Jennifer alone in the apartment that was owned by the family of her aggressor. Since then, she has tried to regularize her situation through a rental contract without obtaining a positive response.
The economic gap blocks access to social housing
Jennifer cannot access public aid because her income slightly exceeds the established limits. She explains that to enter the social housing lottery, a maximum income of 10,000 euros per year is required. She declared an income of 7,900 euros at her lowest point but currently exceeds that threshold. This circumstance excludes her from the protection system and forces her to seek accommodation in the private market.
"To enter the social housing lottery you have to have an income of 10,000 euros and I have reached 7,900. It is not a viable solution and they do not give me any other option" - Jennifer, neighbor affected by the eviction
Rental prices in Reus reach 600 euros per month for a studio. This figure is unattainable for their current economy. The neighbor states that if the corresponding gender violence protocol had been activated in 2021, the situation would be different today.
The conflict with public ownership and neighborhood mobilization
The municipal company Redessa manages the entire block where Jennifer lives. The Reus City Council maintains that it is monitoring the case and has proposed various housing alternatives. However, it refuses to set a precedent by bypassing the usual procedure for allocating social housing. Municipal services indicate that the allocation must be made according to the criteria regulated by Social Services.
The Housing Union denounces that Reus has nearly 6,000 empty homes. The organization criticizes that the eviction of vulnerable people from publicly owned or publicly managed apartments is allowed. They have called for a social mobilization for the day of the eviction.
"The City Council will only provide a solution to this situation when it is mediagenic; that is why we ask that the case be made visible" - Miquel, member of the Housing Union
Miquel assures that the halt of the process will depend on union pressure and not on political will. The organization seeks to make the case visible to exert pressure on the city council.
Jennifer refuses to leave the property without an alternative that allows her to live with dignity alongside her pets. She recalls that the aggressor failed to comply with the previous court order. He accessed the apartment by breaking a window that remains unrepaired and assaulted her again. These events led to her hospitalization.
In 2023 the housing suffered water supply cuts every Monday. This situation was reversed after a joint negotiation with the Housing Union. The neighbor maintains that the shame should change sides due to the lack of effective solutions from the institutions.