Montjuïc shantytowns are no longer confined to hidden corners of Barcelona’s mountain. In recent months, these precarious settlements have expanded onto popular tourist slopes. This shift creates a stark contrast between the city’s tourism boom and its deepening housing crisis. For context, authorities recently cleared a homeless settlement in Badalona. The city previously addressed similar concerns when recent clearance of a homeless settlement in Badalona.
Next to the port cable car station in Miramar gardens, tourists now stroll past improvised shelters. This expansion marks a visible shift in Barcelona’s homelessness geography. Consequently, poverty is moving from the margins to the centre stage of public life. A recent report warns Catalonia’s housing crisis is set to worsen. The city previously addressed similar concerns when report warning Catalonia’s housing crisis is set to worsen.
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Home » Montjuïc Shantytowns Expand into Barcelona’s Tourist Zones
Montjuïc Shantytowns: Living in Tourism’s Shadow
Near a new restaurant and hotel, 29-year-old Larbi, a baker from Algeria, has lived in a tent for five months. Using a translation app, he explains he survives by collecting scrap metal. “In this part, in these six tents, we are the Maghrebis. On the other side of the stairs, others stay,” he says. Meanwhile, an expert calls for a radical rethink of apartment sizes in Barcelona. The city previously addressed similar concerns when expert calls for a radical rethink of apartment sizes in Barcelona.
Daily life for these residents involves navigating police checks and tourist gazes. Officers from the Mossos d’Esquadra patrol the area, occasionally confiscating weapons. Meanwhile, tourists lean against railings just metres away to admire the view.
The Working Homeless in Montjuïc Shantytowns
Further along the mountain, near the Olympic diving pool, the demographic shifts. Hidden in a precarious corner is Rouel Eugenio, a 53-year-old Filipino national. He worked for years in hospitality and construction before turning to scrap collection.
“I’ve been on the street for a few years now. Here on the mountain, you get very cold, you get soaked when it rains, and there are many rats, but you are safer than on the street,” Eugenio says.
Eugenio moved to his current spot after a fire destroyed a neighbouring settlement. He attributes the fire to a mentally ill neighbour. “He wasn’t right in the head and set them on fire. So they moved further down. But there you are more visible.”
A notable settlement in the Parque de la Primavera is inhabited largely by Filipinos. Many have long histories of employment in Barcelona’s kitchens. Their camp is tidy, flanked by flowerpots, yet they face imminent eviction. Residents expressed frustration that employment no longer safeguards against homelessness. Rental prices have soared in the city.
“It is very difficult to get a room in Barcelona, even if you have work,” explained one resident. “We no longer make fires to cook, and we try to keep everything clean.”
Local Concerns and Rising Numbers
The influx has not gone unnoticed by long-term residents. Àngels, a lifelong neighbour, noted that rough sleepers have always been part of Montjuïc. However, the numbers seen in the last year are unprecedented.
“We have people from everywhere,” she says. “Some know how to behave, some don’t. Sometimes you hesitate to return home at night.” Her primary concern, however, mirrors that of the campers: fire. “The fire the other day was very big. These days everything is damp, but the risk remains.”
Despite police warnings, the settlements persist. As authorities clear one area, new arrivals appear elsewhere. Just down the slope, two intoxicated men from Estonia and Latvia were seen hauling planks and plastic sheeting. They enthusiastically proclaimed their intent to build a new “house” on the mountain.
Therefore, as the city grapples with this visible poverty, the slopes of Montjuïc continue to serve as a last resort. Those priced out of Barcelona’s unforgiving housing market have few other options.
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