A Barcelona mother of three saw her eviction from a flat on Buenos Aires street postponed this week, following a protest by housing activists. This case highlights the increasing pressure from investment funds converting residential properties into co-living spaces.

Olalla's Eviction Postponed

Olalla, a 40-year-old single mother, faced eviction from her home at number 60, Buenos Aires street. She had lived there for nine years with her three children, aged 10 and eight. The family initially struggled with rent payments during the coronavirus pandemic. They accumulated five months of debt. After her separation, Olalla reduced the debt to two months. However, the 1,500-euro monthly rent became unsustainable when she lost her job.

Her eviction was scheduled for this Tuesday morning. It was delayed until next Tuesday, 20 May. The Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia's police force, lacked sufficient officers to carry out the eviction. Many agents were deployed elsewhere due to an education sector strike, according to Tot Barcelona.

Olalla holds a certificate of aggravated social, emotional, and economic vulnerability. She also has shared custody of her minor children. Furthermore, a court had condoned her accumulated rent debt under the Second Chance Law. Despite these factors, the property owner pursued the eviction.

Investment Fund's Co-living Strategy

The property owner is New Amsterdam Developers (NAD), a Dutch investment fund. NAD owns dozens of real estate assets across Barcelona. Their business model involves allowing rental contracts to expire. They then evict tenants and fragment flats into individual rooms. These rooms are subsequently rented out separately at much higher prices. This practice facilitates co-living arrangements.

NAD previously used the company Enter Coliving to manage nearly 200 properties. These included many flats within the building at 60 Buenos Aires street. Enter Coliving marketed around twenty rooms in this building.

However, Enter Coliving ended its agreement with NAD a few months ago. This followed pressure from the housing movement. NAD then created a new company, New Nomads, with two partners. New Nomads now markets rooms in NAD's properties.

High Rents and Housing Regulations

New Nomads advertises several rooms on major property portals. Some prices reach up to 980 euros per month. These prices often flagrantly violate Barcelona's rent cap regulations. The advertisements also state that “no empadronaments” (no official registrations) are permitted.

They specify that rooms “do not constitute habitual or temporary housing for work, professional, study, or medical needs.” Instead, the rooms are for “recreational purposes, exclusively for temporary stays for leisure, cultural, or holiday reasons.” A minimum stay of 31 days is required to avoid tourist housing regulations.

Housing Activists Mobilise

Around fifty people gathered outside the Buenos Aires street building on Tuesday morning. This protest aimed to prevent Olalla's eviction. The location, in the upper Eixample district, does not typically see such housing movement concentrations.

The Sindicat de Llogateres (Tenants' Union), the Confederació Sindical d’Habitatge de Catalunya (COSHAC), and the Sindicat d’Habitatge Socialista de Catalunya (SHSC) organised the demonstration. These groups previously united to stop an eviction at the Bloc Sant Agustí, another NAD-owned property. Their collective action led to the postponement of Olalla's eviction.

Broader Impact and Future Evictions

This protest serves as a warning to the investment fund. Another eviction is scheduled for 29 May. Marga Aguilar, a prominent figure in the Bloc Papallona housing struggle, faces eviction on that date. She has lived in the Bloc Papallona since 1992. This building is also owned by NAD.

Recent weeks have revealed structural damage in the Bloc Papallona. This damage resulted from works to divide flats into rooms. The building is protected as heritage property. The ongoing struggle highlights a critical issue in Barcelona's housing market.

Investment funds are converting long-term residential properties into short-term co-living spaces. This reduces affordable housing options for residents. It also raises concerns about the legality and social impact of such practices. Housing activists continue to fight for the right to stable and affordable housing in the city.

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Originally published by Tot Barcelona. Read original article.