The City of Vitoria-Gasteiz reported last week that it will expedite the procedure for the expulsion of the 124 municipal houses in Olarizu to Vitorian citizens. The government of the City of Vitoria-Gasteiz (PNV-PSE) has reached an agreement with pp to enable a new step. The ownership of the buildings will move from the municipal agency Ensanche 21 to the city hall and the people living in the houses will be informed of their intention to evict the houses. Citizens shall have 10 days from the notification to submit their claims on the fire situation.

Privatisation of municipal land

The initiative for housing and against social exclusion in Vitoria-Gasteiz, which brings together several associations and citizens’ movements, has denounced the City Council’s last “irresponsible” step. For years, dozens of people have been living in the houses of Olarizu Avenue, in a serious situation of exclusion, without electricity or water since the City Hall cut them in 2019. Expulsion would, in the opinion of the citizens' initiative, worsen the situation: “We consider it very serious that in view of the emergency situation of the housing that we have denounced on many occasions, the City Hall will take only the steps necessary to aggravate the problem.”

The initiative considers that the municipal government uses housing "to boost the business of private companies" in the area. He recalled, among other things, that in March the public agency Vitalquiler sold 500 Official Protection homes to a vulture fund. Similar interests are found behind the eviction project of the houses of Olarizu: “We are facing a process of privatization of housing and land that should have social purposes in Vitoria-Gasteiz.”

No solution from social services

The municipal government has offered social services to citizens who wish to be expelled from their facilities in order to find a solution to their situation. Mayor Gorka Uraran has made several statements against the neighbours of the okupadas houses of Olarizu, warning that if they want a hostel they can go to social services. Last Tuesday he spoke in a similar way: "It's a complex process. But I want to inform the Vitorian society that I'm not going to stop until the okupas are fired and housing for the city council is recovered." The proponent of the city’s citizenship or the Housing and Social Exclusion initiative of Vitoria-Gasteiz have on several occasions denounced that many of the people who have occupied Olarizu have attended these services before and answered that the resources are complete, leaving them on the street. In May, ARGIA released a case of this kind. Three minors left a family in the midst of a pandemic, offered no shelter in social emergency services and occupied Olarizu.