In Spain, squatting has increased rapidly. Thanks to the illegal actions, 20,000 households affected by the crisis are said to have found refuge in Barcelona alone. Empty buildings are being occupied, but also apartments belonging to small owners. These are now turning to private eviction companies in order to get their property back. The phenomenon of squatting has spread in Spain, especially in Catalonia. In Barcelona alone, there are said to be 20,000 illegal squats, which have enabled many citizens thrown off course by the financial crisis of 2008 to find a place to live. They are mostly occupying empty buildings belonging to property developers who have never found a buyer, but also increasingly properties belonging to small owners. These are now turning to private eviction companies because they have lost their rental income and the wheels of the Spanish justice system grind too slowly. A "robust" solution bordering on legality. Since the financial crisis of 2008, when 350,000 Spanish families were unable to pay their mortgages and lost their homes, the housing situation in Spain has deteriorated. The country has far too few social housing units, while a total of almost four million homes - 15% of the housing stock - are said to be empty. The result: the phenomenon of squatting has spread, especially in Catalonia. In Barcelona alone, there are said to be 20,000 illegal squats, which have provided refuge for many citizens affected by the crisis. In 2012, 55-year-old gardener Llum Oliver had to give up her home to the bank. After becoming homeless overnight, the Barcelona resident turned to a housing rights association. Groups are springing up all over her area to gain access to empty homes. Their target is usually buildings owned by large real estate companies or banks that have seized properties that were mortgaged during the crisis. A "just return", say these victims of the speculative crisis. Llum moved into a building in the centre of Barcelona. Since then, she has been safe, but she is living illegally. Eloi Cortès Serra is a housing officer at the town hall of Sabadell, a town of 200,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Barcelona. For the past three years, he has been working on an increasing number of projects involving the construction of new buildings and the conversion of buildings into social housing - a race against time, as hundreds of citizens are waiting for solutions. The phenomenon of squatting has spread so widely that he is personally affected in Sabadell: several of his ongoing projects have been occupied illegally, delaying work for several months. Such squatting can sometimes last for two or three years before the - overwhelmed - authorities resolve the problem. As a result, more and more small property owners are turning to one of the eviction companies that have flourished in Spain for the past five years, such as that run by Jorge de Masso, a former mixed martial arts champion. In return for payment, he and his "robust" team approach unwanted squatters and do everything to get them to leave the apartment. A solution bordering on legality. Reportage (F 2022, 32 min) #spain #livingspace #squatters Video available until 17/10/2025 Subscribe to ARTE's YouTube channel: / artede Follow us on social networks: Facebook: / arte.tv Twitter: / artede Instagram: / arte.tv