As in the story of ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, by Hans Christian Andersen, sometimes we don’t talk about obvious realities. In the story, the emperor goes out naked in the street because they have convinced him that he is wearing a suit made of a fabric that is invisible to the stupid and that no one dares to. raise your voice to say what is evident: that the suit does not exist. On the subject of housing occupations, the mayors and mayors who are part of the Arc Metropolità we feel like in this story: we have the feeling that nobody wants to talk about the home occupations carried out by organized mafias, as if in this way we eliminated this reality. But the problem exists and needs to be addressed.
We are not talking about occupations derived from a real need and that do not generate conflict, but about those conflictive occupations, in many cases linked to other illicit activities, such as the planting and sale of marijuana or human trafficking. They are occupations that generate tense situations with the neighborhood because the occupants show uncivil attitudes, cause problems and endanger coexistence in our neighborhoods. And as mayors and mayors we are convinced that ensure safety and coexistence It is a way of making progressive policies, of helping those people in society who suffer from uncivil occupations, which often occur in neighborhoods located in the most socioeconomically depressed areas.
Our municipalities are already acting to attack the root of the problem, which is that access to housing continues to be a key factor of inequality. That is why from the municipalities we work to increase the stock of social housing. We do this by negotiating with large holders, building public housing, acquiring flats through trial and error, and granting economic benefits whenever possible. We do beyond our powers, but we can’t get to everything. We are limited, we have no resources and we have to be clear, it is necessary more involvement of all to guarantee the fundamental right of housing and fight against practices that precisely take advantage of poverty for profit.
The mayors and mayors of the Arc Metropolità have taken a step forward and we want to publicly denounce this situation, we want to say that the emperor goes naked because it is like this: Catalonia is the autonomous community with the most illegal home occupations. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, the Catalan territory accounts for 42% of the total number of occupations in the State and of these, 74%, that is, 4,229, are concentrated in the province of Barcelona.
Proposals
We have a problem and we want solutions. So we ask for legal measures, better instruments for police action and more resources to fight against housing deficits in our cities. And we do not ask for help in general, we propose some very specific agreements:
1. That the Generalitat endow us with ways to increase aid to families and the number of flats intended for people in a situation or risk of exclusion.
2. That the Spanish government and parliamentary groups promote a urgent reform of the procedural regulations, in order to guarantee and cover the police action for the vacancies of those properties illegally occupied.
3. That the General Council of the Judiciary create special courts for crimes of occupation in the demarcations where more cases accumulate and the creation of the figure of the specialized prosecutor, which may depend on organized crime or economic crimes.
4. That the Generalitat, together with the rest of the State security forces and bodies, don’t leave the local police alone in the face of conflicting occupations. We urgently need a Special Security Plan against the mafias that traffic with people and usurpations of real estate. It is also necessary to give political cover to the Mossos d’Esquadra in their action against the occupations.
5. That the Government of Spain and the parliamentary groups initiate an urgent reform of criminal law in order to clarify the typification of the crimes of trespassing and usurpation of property, that penalties be increased and that an aggravating circumstance be introduced in cases where there is a profit motive.
In short, we want more involvement, legal, judicial and more instruments to act against the mafias and conflictive occupations. We want zero tolerance for occupations.
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The solution is complex, but it is necessary to be clear and courageous. Housing is a universal right and we cannot allow a few profit at the expense of collective well-being and the quality of life of the group of neighbors and neighbors.
sign this article Martha Farres, president of the Arc Metropolità and mayor of Sabadell, Xavier Fonollosa, Vice President of the Arc Metropolità and Mayor of Martorell, Pere Regull, Vice President of the Arc Metropolità and Mayor of Vilafranca del Penedès, David Bote, secretary of the Arc Metropolità and mayor of Mataró, Jordi Ballart, Mayor of Terrassa, Ana Maria Martinez, mayor of Ruby, Olga Arnau, mayor of Vilanova i la Geltrú, Alba Barnusell, mayor of Granollers Y Josep Monras, Mayor of Mollet del Valles.