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INPRIMATU
Bilbao neighbours start a fight after a large owner buys a building in Bilbao
  • A large owner has bought a building from the Casco Viejo de Bilbao completely. Neighbours who had expired rental contracts have to leave in a short time, and those who remain there are fears that they will also be forced to leave. Therefore, they have joined the Housing Union of the Casco Viejo de Bilbao, AZET, and have begun a struggle. The trade unions consider this to be a speculative operation.
Amaia Lekunberri Ansola 2021eko azaroaren 11
Erribera 9 eraikina etxejabe handi batek erosi zuela jakinarazi zuten unea (Argazkia: Txeng Meng)

8 October: "Bridging the gap in housing defense!" Under the motto, the Housing Union of the Casco Viejo de Bilbao, AZET, convened a demonstration and took advantage of the mobilization to make a couple of presentations: on the one hand, the independent space Arrakala II, located on Somera Street, was made known, and on the other, the assistants of the case number 9 of Ribera Street were informed. In front of the building, the demonstration made a stop and through a banner opened by the neighbors it was reported that the property had been purchased by a large owner.

After more than a month, AZET has made known in writing what the case of infanta Cristina is. They have explained that a large owner has bought what has long been the residence of five families, and that neighbors were informed of the sale from one day to the next. Two out of five families had expired rental contracts and since the new owner has not renewed them, they have been forced to leave in a short term and search for a housing alternative, which they will have to leave in December.

The rest of the three families have contracts in force, but according to the union "they know little or nothing about the new property that has inherited these contracts, nor about their intention". They do not seem to understand why the new owner has been in such a hurry to evict the two families and do not know what he is going to do with the two dwellings that are going to become empty. "Everything seems to indicate that the new property will do anything to try to knock them down, replacing their rentals (which in some cases are old rentals) with higher ones," said the AZET reading union. According to the union, the Ribera 9 is a "speculative operation of enesis" in the Casco Viejo de Bilbao.

The neighbors, with the suspicion that their home might also be in danger, have joined the AZET union to socialize their problem and start fighting with the neighbors. - Because we are clear: our lives are above their properties! "They are asking you to pay attention to the forthcoming calls that come with this declaration," the Basque Executive added.