Vanesa Valiño, activist and chief of staff of the Barcelona Housing Department during Colau’s mayoralty, dies

Commotion in the Commons due to the death of Vanesa Valiñoactivist for the right to housing and chief of staff of the Housing and Rehabilitation Department of Barcelona City Council during Ada Colau’s mayoralty. The member of the Comuns, sentimental partner of Gerardo Pisarello, deputy in Congress, He suffered from cancer.

Valiño arrived at Barcelona City Council from Observatory of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (DESC)a non-profit entity dedicated to the defense and promotion of social rights and, in particular, the right to housing in Barcelona. From the beginning, Valiño was part of Colau’s hard core and has been a prominent figure of the Commons. In fact, they coincided with the former mayor at the Observatori DESC, before making the leap to the institution.

Valiño has published various articles on housingas Housing emergency and habitat crisis in Catalonia, Impacts on health care and children’s rights of the mortgage crisis either Mortgage foreclosure and housing rights in Spain: crisis or general disappointment?

During his farewell to Barcelona City Councilnow a few weeks ago, Colau got excited talking about Valiño. “Vanesa is facing the most difficult moment of her life and cancer is winning the battle“she said through tears.

Pisarello had to participate in the Public Space act on plurinationality which was held last Wednesday in Madrid, but finally he had to excuse his absence for the state of Valiño.