Badalona’s homeless crisis has escalated dramatically after evicted residents from the former B9 institute occupied the city’s only municipal shelter, which has been closed since May 2024.
This development follows last week’s clearance of the B9 building, which had housed approximately 400 people, leaving dozens without refuge and sleeping under the C31 bridge.
Badalona Homeless Crisis Sparks Urgent Municipal Response
The occupation of Can Bofí Vell shelter was confirmed after affected individuals sent a letter to Catalan President Salvador Illa.
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“We are writing from under the Badalona bridge,” the letter begins, highlighting the desperate situation facing migrants who previously lived at B9. Consequently, they have sought shelter in the municipal building, describing it as “the place that corresponds to us by right.”
Meanwhile, tensions in the community have surfaced. This past Sunday, a group of neighbours prevented approximately fifteen former B9 residents from receiving shelter elsewhere. Furthermore, the evicted individuals criticise authorities for failing to follow the eviction judge’s protocol requiring municipal assistance for homeless people. “Here we are, on the street, without help from municipal social services or the Generalitat,” their letter states.
Municipal sources confirmed they learned about the occupation through media reports. Therefore, Mayor Xavier Garcia Albiol will address the problem today with Social Rights Councillor Mònica Martínez Bravo. The authorities have urged patience while the council and regional government conduct urgent talks this morning before making any official assessment.
Additionally, protest groups supporting the evicted have called for a demonstration outside the occupied shelter starting at 6:00 PM today. Police presence is already established, with Mossos d’Esquadra and Guardia Urbana vehicles monitoring the area. This situation reflects broader concerns about housing and social support in the region, as highlighted in recent coverage of Barcelona’s ongoing housing crisis.
The occupation underscores a significant failure in the transition plan for B9’s residents. According to El Periódico, some individuals entered the shelter before the B9 eviction, with smaller groups joining afterwards. The municipal response will be crucial in determining whether this Badalona homeless crisis finds a humane and sustainable resolution for all involved.
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