Housing Crisis Triggers Mass Protests and Occupation in Alicante

• Residents and housing activists are staging a mass occupation in Alicante to protest soaring evictions and housing unaffordability.
• The city remains one of the most affected in Spain, with 263 evictions recorded in the first quarter of the year alone.
• Activist groups are demanding an end to housing as a speculative business and are calling for permanent rental protections.

The Crisis in Alicante

• Alicante ranks among the highest in Spain for evictions, as reported by the INE and the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ).
• Local syndicates, including Sindicat de Vivenda Carolines and Sindicat de Vivenda de Zona Nord, organized a massive protest on October 4th, leading to an ongoing encampment of 70 tents in Plaza de la Muntanyeta.
• The protest serves as a focal point to highlight the impact of mass tourism and speculative investment on residential housing.

Key Cases and Structural Issues

• Najlaa’s Situation: A mother of three facing eviction from a home that was sold multiple times between investment funds, specifically companies linked to the U.S.-based Cerberus Capital Management and VR Casas.
• Racial and Economic Barriers: Immigrants face systemic discrimination in the rental market, often forcing them into precarious, informal, or scam-ridden housing situations.
• VPO Neglect: Many older low-cost social housing units in Northern Alicante suffer from a lack of maintenance, creating health risks for residents.

Movement Objectives

• The movement seeks to address the "silent murders" described by activists regarding the human cost of evictions, noting recent suicides related to displacement.
• The encampment provides a base for community organization, including workshops, assemblies, and political education, aiming to mobilize the working class beyond basic reformism.
• Advocates emphasize that 50% of recent evictions involved private owners purchasing properties with tenants inside to flip them for profit or personal use.