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Goia's housing policy "is part of the problem" in Donostia, according to reports EH Bildu
  • EH Bildu has called for the "housing emergency" in San Sebastian and has proposed five urgent measures: limiting the rental price, ending evictions, naming the putresses in the city as a grate, moratorium on new tourist homes and guaranteeing social housing. The event held on Sunday in Garibai Street has culminated in the dynamic that has lasted for a month.
Lander Arbelaitz Mitxelena @larbelaitz 2022ko maiatzaren 30a
Garibai kalean egindako ekitaldian, Reyes Carrereren hitzartzea. (Argazkia: EH Bildu)

Reyes Carrere, spokesman for EH Bildu, makes it clear: What was said a few months ago by Eneko Goia in an interview, "wanting to age in your neighborhood is a bit fine", summarizes well how the mayor of the city sees the future of the city. "Does anybody imagine a mayor of any town or city around us telling their young people that the future is far from their environment? That is what Mr Goia thinks, says and does," he said at the event held in the city centre.

EH Bildu has been socializing the socioeconomic data of the city with this campaign. Among other things, that since Mayor Eneko Goia rentals have risen by 35% in the city, that has authorized the opening or opening of some 45 new hotels, that evictions have been restarted and that vulture funds are being harassed by the public.

Given this, Reyes Carrer has defended the need to give opportunity to other public housing policies: "EH Bildu knows that this is a complex problem and that there are no magic solutions. But we cannot leave our future to the vicissitudes of the market, investment funds and professional speculators. We need public policies that put people first. The right to housing must prevail over the right to speculate."

The event was held on Garibai Street, because a housing block that once inhabited has become a tourist apartment building, and that is what EH Bildu has denounced, even though Goia said they would not grant more licenses, then it is an authorised project. "It's a symbol of what's going on in Donostia with housing," said EH Bildu.

Five measures to address the problem

EH Bildu proposes:

1 - Limitation of rental price. Since Goia became mayor, the rent has increased by 35% and continues to grow. The law must limit prices to prevent people from leaving their neighborhoods.

2 - Stop etxe layoffs. On March 22, the vulture Azora fired his first tenant in San Sebastian. Iñaki was unable to cope with the excessive increase of 33% imposed. Everything points to more redundancies. San Sebastian must once again be "a city without evictions".

3 - Vulture Funds outside. The situation has worsened since the investment funds intended to speculate on housing arrived in San Sebastian. To come to speculate in the city and say that they have come to it without shame, for EH Bildu is a direct attack on coexistence.

4 – Freeze new tourist accommodation. Goya has acknowledged that some 45 hotels have been opened in his mandate. It legalizes hundreds of tourist apartments of more than the first floor. And all of this has had a huge impact on the price of housing.

5- Ensuring social housing. Thousands of Donostiarras are waiting for public housing and many have had to go to live outside. Expand the public housing stock for rent through the construction of empty housing, rehabilitation and placing on the market of empty housing.

Dynamics of the month

With the event carried out on Garibai Street, the dynamic that has lasted for a month has ended, in which talks, excursions and round tables have been organized. Among other things, they have discussed with Javier Burón, head of the public housing services of the City of Barcelona, how the boom of tourist housing remained in Barcelona, have made a talk about the popular referendum in Berlin or some routes guided by the Casco Viejo and Gros, under the title Free Tour, explaining the consequences of the turistification.

Agus Rodríguez, from the Bar Pandora, explains in 'Free tour' format the consequences of the turistification.