In the light of the events that took place in March, the Ombudsman initiated an action that “asked the City Council of San Sebastian for more information on this news that was disseminated in the media”. “According to the information provided by the City Hall, the purpose of this activity was not to evict anyone, but to identify the people who were in the building,” they added.

Ararteko considers that this type of action does not adequately respond to the problems of homeless people: “The reports and studies that are being done on people in situations of severe residential exclusion indicate that since 2012 the number of homeless people in the Basque Country has steadily increased, specifically in Donostia-San Sebastián. Therefore, it seems that this isolated action does not respond to a previously consensual plan that takes into account the multiple dimensions of the problem of homelessness. For this reason, he stressed the need for a comprehensive plan for this municipality and for greater coordination, both internally and externally, between the administrations and the actors involved.”

The Neighbourhood Partnership, in search of solutions

The situation of the Augustinian building is not new, as it has been unused for years and occupied by people on the street. In addition, on many occasions there have been problems of coexistence in the neighborhood that have criminalized and put the spotlight on all the people who have passed through the building from different sectors.

For its part, the association of neighbors has been demanding comprehensive solutions for years: “Martutene’s neighbours and neighbours have been demanding solutions for more than ten years. In this equation, if we consider the ‘okupas’ to be the only culprits and if the only petition is ‘more security’, we believe it is a mistake, because that generates hatred, and the problem that Martutene has will not only be solved with police arrests and raids.”