Network of active solidarity against evictions

>Network of active solidarity against evictions

In order to stop the daily dripping of evictions, there has been launched a new web page as a supporting tool for the Network Against Evictions. You can find it at:
www.17-s.info/desnonaments

In these moments of a severe economic crisis many people struggle more than ever to pay their monthly renting or mortgage expenses. Even though to have a "decent and adequate home" is a right recognized by the Spanish Constitution (Art. 47), the Government, instead of taking proper measures to help those people whose precarious financial situation prevents them from having a decent home - the unemployed, the mortgage payers, the youth, the elderly, etc. - opts for a strict eviction policy.

The threat of the so-called express evictions.

The Government together with the Housing Ministery have recently presented to the Congress a bill concerning the measures of promoting the house rent and the energetic efficiency of the buildings. This bill aims to speed up evictions and renting debts payments in order to avoid "abuses and unjustifiable delays", thus imposing newly invented "express evictions". Once the measures are put into force, the tenants will only have one month to pay the outstanding renting debts, and the judicial procedures will become shorter by means of using oral trials and through the creation of special courts. Even though these measures were announced as an incentive to give the Spanish house renting market a boost, they turn into direct aid to the house owners and to the property speculators who have 3.350.000 of empty flats in their possession, which makes thousands of people defenceless before the imminent evictions.

Network of active solidarity against evictions

However, we are not alone. While we keep on promoting alternatives to the housing problem, such as housing cooperatives where the rights of use are transfered, we have to defend more vigorously than ever our right to a decent housing, and struggle together, all the neighbours united, to stop all the evictions. Be active in solidarity! Neighbours must stay in the neighbourhood! Not a single eviction more! Let us extend our solidarity network against evictions!

When somebody is under a threat of eviction, they can spread the news through the webpage, so that the people living nearby can be on alert and able to come at the right moment and try to prevent the eviction from taking place.

Some previous experiences of neighbours' solidarity have demonstrated that such actions can be effective enough to delay or even to stop an eviction. Moreover, given that the police resources are limited, a strategy of massive solidarity in such cases can prevent many evictions from taking place, because to carry out just one eviction costs them a lot of effort.

On the other hand, depending on each case, people can collaborate in actions preceding the eviction, exercising social pressure to stop it, or following it. In case it could not be stopped, when the day arrives, the neighbours can help the family or the people affected to find another decent shelter.
On the web site http://www.17-s.info/desnonaments, each person threatened with eviction can publish their case, indicating their location and the exact day of eviction, if known, and call out for solidarity.
If you have been affected or you want to take part in the acts of solidarity against evictions, come join us!