The AZET platform, which yesterday occupied part of a housing in the neighborhood of San Francisco, stated that “occupied housing is one of the many possessions of a speculator who does business through the turistification of our neighborhood” and that the action was carried out yesterday as a symbolic action against “capitalist vultures that enrich” at the expense of the expropriation of the neighbors.

AZET highlighted the influence of tourist apartments in the neighborhood, as by transforming housing into tourist apartments, housing destined for housing become “temporary rental”, causing the dismantling of the neighbors who cannot cope with the increase in rents. The Housing Union has explained that of the 1500 tourist homes in the city, 7000 are located in San Francisco, Bilbao la Vieja, Atxuri and Casco Viejo, and San Francisco is the neighborhood with the most tourist homes, as well as in the largest number of evictions.

As responsible for these tourist effects, they have pointed out to banks, vulture funds, companies and agencies of the tourism industry, individual speculators and the City of Bilbao “without the cooperation of the latter, the commodification of the neighborhood and its life would be impossible”. Two companies have been identified as responsible for the situation in and around San Francisco: Alameda Flats, with more than 50 tourist homes in the city, and Inversiones Belfeta, with fifteen tourist homes in Bilbao, 12 of them in San Francisco and Casco Viejo. AZET, in the face of this situation, explained that “regrettable. We are a class of indebted workers, and if we do not organize ourselves, companies like Alameda Flats and Inversiones Belfeta will drive us out of our homes and neighborhoods.”