Renters Unions and Evading Eviction – Housing in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
Housing movements and
activism has been particularly notable in Spain where a range of organisations
are fighting for housing rights and justice. Some of these are outlined in PuSH
chapter 7 where we discuss movements to occupy space and claim property in Spain.
To delve into these struggles a little further, we want you to look at the example of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and the fraught housing politics of this city.
L’Hospitalet de Llobregat is the second-largest city in Catalonia and one of the most densely populated in Europe. It sits close to Barcelona and this proximity had led the city to be a focal point for migrants in the region. Migration has involved both low-income residents working in local industries and young professionals who have been priced out of Barcelona due to that city’s gentrification and a growing crisis of affordability. Gentrification-led displacement has a knock-on effect in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat where rents have risen in response to in-migration, placing longer-standing and low-income residents in an increasingly precarious position.
In response, renters’ unions have been established to try and support renters at threat of eviction and facing exorbitant increases in rent. For example, the Sindicat helps to stop evictions by staging rallies and publicising the cases of those facing eviction. It provides support to those at risk and offers forms of community and connection for people to share their problems, identify potential solutions, and fight together for renters’ rights. The union has developed legal and practical toolkits and guidance to help inform people about their rights and help negotiate with landlords.
To learn more about the context of precarious housing in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, and about how this has been challenged, please watch the short documentary Sindicat.
After watching the documentary, write an essay (about between 1000 and 1500 words) to answer the following questions:
- What claims to rights were different residents in the city making?
- How did the work of Sindicat support these claims for rights?
- Looking at the policy recommendations of PuSH chapter 7, which of these areas of policy change do you think would be most effective in addressing precarious housing in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat?