Barcelona Moves to Evict Vallcarca Shanties, Declares Them Uninhabitable
- On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the Barcelona City Council initiated the first steps to clear the slum settlement in the Vallcarca neighborhood, along with three...
- The formal procedure to enforce the eviction involves notifying the inhabitants of the opening of an inquiry declaring the area as "infravivienda" or substandard housing.
- The settlement is adjacent to La Fusteria, a former carpentry business owned by the City Council, which is also occupied.This situation is further elaborate by the...
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Barcelona Takes First Step to Clear Vallcarca Slum and Address Substandard Housing
Table of Contents
- Barcelona Takes First Step to Clear Vallcarca Slum and Address Substandard Housing
- Barcelona Vallcarca Slum clearance: Your Questions Answered
- table of Contents
- Why is Barcelona clearing the Vallcarca slum?
- What does “infravivienda” or substandard housing mean?
- How many people are affected by the Vallcarca slum clearance?
- What concerns do residents have about the slum clearance?
- What alternatives are being offered to residents being evicted?
- What is the timeline for the Vallcarca eviction?
- How is the neighborhood association responding to the clearance?
- What are the future plans for the Vallcarca area after the clearance?
- How many slum settlements are in Barcelona?
- Summary of Vallcarca Slum Clearance
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the Barcelona City Council initiated the first steps to clear the slum settlement in the Vallcarca neighborhood, along with three occupied buildings (two houses and a warehouse). According to social services, approximately 30 people are living in these infraviviendas, frequently enough in poor conditions. The settlement and warehouse also serve as a storage point for scrap metal.
Declaration of Substandard Housing
The formal procedure to enforce the eviction involves notifying the inhabitants of the opening of an inquiry declaring the area as “infravivienda” or substandard housing. The land where the shacks are located is partly public and partly owned by various owners. Current urban plans dictate that the area will be converted into a park.
The settlement is adjacent to La Fusteria, a former carpentry business owned by the City Council, which is also occupied.This situation is further elaborate by the presence of vulnerable individuals seeking shelter and nearby warehouses functioning as scrap yards.
Residents Voice Concerns Over Slum Clearance
Florina,a resident of the settlement,shared the letter she received from plainclothes agents of the Guardia Urbana. The eight-page document explained that she had ten business days to present arguments against the declaration of substandard housing.
Florina questioned, ““¿Qué alegaciones? Claro que son infraviviendas, claro, ya lo sabemos que no se puede vivir aquí. Pero ¿adónde vamos? invito a quien quiera a que me acompañe hacer un experimento para alquilar un piso. Para nosotros es imposible, la gente no tiene confianza en nosotros”” (“What arguments? Of course, they are substandard homes, of course, we already know that you can’t live here. But where are we going? I invite anyone who wants to come with me to do an experiment to rent an apartment. It is impossible for us, people do not trust us”).She explained that she earns just over 700 euros a month from a minimum income and was evicted from a small house five years ago, now living in a shack on the same land with only a bed.
City Council Acknowledges complexity
Following the notification of the proceedings concerning the main settlement and the three occupied buildings,Deputy Mayor of Urban Planning,Laia Bonet,acknowledged the complexity of the situation,attributing it to the “entrenchment” of a two-decade-old urban plan that has not materialized. She warned that the eviction proceedings would take time: “Es cuestión de meses” el desalojo” (“It’s a matter of months” for the eviction), but did not specify how many.
The council assures that its street teams from social services have been ”un seguimiento” (“monitoring”) the inhabitants of the settlement and buildings for years and have confirmed the substandard housing conditions.According to their census, 17 people are sleeping in shacks (including two minors), and another 13 inhabitants (four of them minors) reside in the buildings.
Bonet stated, ““La declaración de infravivienda se produce por la inseguridad y riesgo que hay para las personas. No podemos admitir que en la Barcelona del siglo XXI se pueda convivir con situaciones de estas características”” (“The declaration of substandard housing is due to the insecurity and risk to people. We cannot allow such situations to exist in 21st-century Barcelona”). According to the latest municipal count, there are currently 68 shantytown settlements in Barcelona, housing 282 people, not including those living illegally in vacant and occupied commercial premises.
Neighborhood Association Responds
The neighborhood association, Som Barri, counters that there are no minors in the shacks and explains that those who where there now live in an occupied house.Aran Llivina, vice president of the neighborhood association, explained that the community helped find them an alternative. She also raised the number of people in the settlement to 60, including those who work but do not spend the night, and warned that municipal workers conducted inspections from outside the premises as residents did not allow the technicians to enter.
Llivina lamented, ““Todo este proceso es una pantomima, aquí no hacen falta inspecciones, sino
Barcelona Vallcarca Slum clearance: Your Questions Answered
This article addresses key questions regarding the Barcelona City Council’s initiative to clear the Vallcarca slum,focusing on substandard housing,resident concerns,and the future of the area.
table of Contents
- Why is Barcelona clearing the Vallcarca slum?
- what does “infravivienda” or substandard housing mean?
- How many people are affected by the Vallcarca slum clearance?
- what concerns do residents have about the slum clearance?
- What alternatives are being offered to residents being evicted?
- What is the timeline for the Vallcarca eviction?
- How is the neighborhood association responding to the clearance?
- What are the future plans for the Vallcarca area after the clearance?
- How many slum settlements are in Barcelona?
Why is Barcelona clearing the Vallcarca slum?
The Barcelona City Council is clearing the Vallcarca slum due to the presence of substandard housing (“infravivienda”) and the associated risks to the people living there. Deputy mayor of Urban Planning, Laia Bonet, stated, “The declaration of substandard housing is due to the insecurity and risk to people. We cannot allow such situations to exist in 21st-century Barcelona.” The area is also slated for conversion into a park according to current urban plans.
What does “infravivienda” or substandard housing mean?
“Infravivienda” refers to housing that does not meet basic living standards, ofen characterized by poor conditions and a lack of essential services. In the context of the Vallcarca slum, it describes the shacks and occupied buildings where approximately 30 people live in conditions deemed unsafe and inadequate by the barcelona City Council.
How many people are affected by the Vallcarca slum clearance?
Approximately 30 people are directly affected by the Vallcarca slum clearance. This includes 17 people (including two minors) living in shacks and another 13 inhabitants (four of them minors) residing in the occupied buildings, according to the City Council’s census. Though, the neighborhood association, Som Barri, claims that their count stands at 60.
What concerns do residents have about the slum clearance?
Residents are primarily concerned about where they will go after the eviction.Florina, a resident of the settlement, expressed her frustration: ““¿Qué alegaciones? Claro que son infraviviendas, claro, ya lo sabemos que no se puede vivir aquí. Pero ¿adónde vamos?” Residents find it nearly impossible to rent apartments due to a lack of trust and limited financial resources. Florina,for example,earns just over 700 euros a month and has previously experienced eviction.
What alternatives are being offered to residents being evicted?
The Barcelona City Council states that its street teams from social services have been monitoring the inhabitants for years. However, the article does not specifically detail what alternatives are being offered. One can infer that the municipality is expected to offer social housing or other housing assistance, since the teams are from social services but details of the offer is not explicit. The neighborhood association explains that they helped some residents find an alternative, occupied house for shelter.
What is the timeline for the Vallcarca eviction?
The Deputy Mayor of Urban Planning, Laia Bonet, indicated that the eviction process would take time, stating, “Es cuestión de meses” el desalojo” (“it’s a matter of months” for the eviction). Though, no specific date was provided.
How is the neighborhood association responding to the clearance?
The neighborhood association, Som Barri, is critical of the process. They raised concerns about the accuracy of the City Council’s census, claiming there are no minors living in the shacks and estimating the number of people in the settlement to be closer to 60. They also criticized the municipal workers for conducting inspections from outside the premises.
What are the future plans for the Vallcarca area after the clearance?
Current urban plans dictate that the area where the shacks are located will be converted into a park.
How many slum settlements are in Barcelona?
According to the latest municipal count, there are currently 68 shantytown settlements in Barcelona, housing 282 people, not including those living illegally in vacant and occupied commercial premises.
Summary of Vallcarca Slum Clearance
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Vallcarca neighborhood, Barcelona |
| Reason for Clearance | Substandard housing (“infravivienda”), safety concerns, planned park conversion |
| Number of People Affected | Approximately 30 (City Council estimate), 60 (Neighborhood association estimate) |
| Timeline for Eviction | “Matter of months” as of March 18, 2025 (no specific date given) |
| Resident Concerns | Lack of alternative housing, inability to afford rent |
| Future Plans | Conversion into a park |