In a scenario marked by residential precariousness and the lack of decisive policies to limit the excessive increase in rental prices in Catalonia, the local entities in defense of the right to housing They play an essential role. This is a collective struggle and, precisely for this reason, it is necessary that there be neighborhood unions or territorial associations that give a voice to the specific problems of each area and work together with neighbors.
One of the spokespersons for Raval Habitat Union (SHR), Andrea Ribas, remembers that reality varies in the various neighborhoods of Barcelona, depending on the social and economic characteristics of its population. “Although we seek to organize on a large scale, the Proximity to the neighborhood is essential to understand the real problems and collaborate with other political agents in the area,” he assures Public. From their point of view, it is essential to create support networks and connect this struggle with other social demands, since they are often interrelated.
One of the biggest challenges in the Raval is combating “wild gentrification“which affects the city in a general way (), but which in the neighborhood takes especially intense forms, such as with the increase in tourist apartments. “Ciutat Vella has a multicultural context with a large presence of migrant people who often live in very precarious situations. The crowding in houses it is common, there are entire families sharing rooms,” adds Ribas. The SHR’s strategy is to focus on this specific reality, addressing the vulnerability of people at risk of exclusion and real estate speculation as key issues within a perspective wider.
An anti-capitalist model to guarantee the right to housing
Thursday marked six years since the first assembly of the SHR and this year it has joined the Socialist Habitat Union of Catalonia (SHSC). This entity differs from the Sindicat de Llogateres or the Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH) by a marked anti-capitalist tendency. Ribas explains that his objective is not to reform institutions, but to establish a “model of free, quality housing managed directly by the working class.”
The ultimate goal of the SHSC is not to change the laws to regulate rent or expand the public housing stock; is to overcome the capitalist system, which is the structural cause of the housing crisis. “We are aware that these are measures that will eventually improve our living conditions, but we want to go further, we want to be a tool at the service of the working classa political project that moves towards a new scenario,” the spokesperson reiterates.
Along these lines, Ribas argues that the State “does not have a neutral position”, that it is an institution “at the service of the bourgeoisie and the interests of capital”. This becomes very evident, he says, in the fact that there is no lack of residential resources, but rather there are hundreds of empty public apartments that are not being managed correctly.
The impact of tourism beyond Barcelona
Housing problems They are not exclusive to the Catalan capital. Tourist municipalities such as Platja d’Aro or Sant Antoni de Calonge on the Costa Brava; Cambrils or Salou in Camp de Tarragona, or Puigcerdà in Cerdanya, also suffer strong pressure from the growth of housing for tourist use and second homes, which have caused rental prices to skyrocket. In the Terres de l’Ebre, the problem moves to towns such as l’Ampolla, Sant Carles de la Ràpita or l’Ametlla de Mar.
The spokesperson for the PAH in Terres de l’Ebre, Claudia Cervesato, explains to Public that “there are few hotels” and that, for this reason, the number of tourist apartments has grown. Likewise, the arrival of young people – from Spain, but also from France – to study in educational centers has increased the demand for housing in Tortosa. The capital of Baix Ebre, along with Roquetes and Amposta, are three municipalities declared a stressed area and where, therefore, the rent cap index has been applied.
“They say that, with the kilometers of distance, the claim loses strength, but it is not true. Here we also suffer from touristification and periodically we meet in working committees to transmit information to the rest of the assemblies of the PAH. We participate to carry out campaigns and actions in the social field,” adds Cervesato, who reiterates the importance of coordinating the territories to address common problems.
The administration’s housing solutions are “insufficient”: “We ask for laws for citizens. We must put aside political fights and be on the side of the people, mobilize the housing stock, stop evictions, fine apartments that are empty,” he says. The PAH does not rule out the construction of new apartments, but considers that it is not They are short-term solutions, but they are fine for the people who will come in the future. Their position is clear: “no more laying out the red carpet for the big holders.”
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