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B9 evictees occupy Badalona's closed shelter, escalating the social crisis
The social conflict in Badalona is intensifying. People expelled from B9 have occupied the Can Bofí Vell shelter. The shelter has been closed since May 2024. Neighbours are preventing the reception of migrants. Authorities are seeking urgent solutions. Find all the details in our report.
The social situation in Badalona has taken a new turn after the eviction of the former B9 institute, where up to 400 people had been living. A group of those expelled has occupied the only municipal shelter for homeless people, Can Bofí Vell, which has been closed since May 2024. This move worsens the crisis and highlights the lack of alternatives for those left on the street.
On Sunday, tensions rose when a group of neighbours prevented around fifteen people evicted from B9 from taking refuge in another space. Meanwhile, those occupying Can Bofí Vell have made their situation public through a letter addressed to the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa. In the letter, they explain that many of them have had to sleep under the C31 bridge since the eviction and lament the loss of a roof and the possibility of maintaining a dignified life.
Those affected believe that the municipal shelter is the place they are entitled to and criticise the lack of institutional response. They report that their rights have been violated and that neither municipal social services nor the Generalitat have offered help after the eviction.
Outside Can Bofí Vell, there is a constant police presence, with vehicles from the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Guardia Urbana monitoring the area. Social organisations have called a protest for this Monday at 18:00 in support of those evicted. Some people are said to have entered the shelter before the B9 eviction, while other groups have joined afterwards.
In the letter, the evicted recall that the judge who authorised the eviction required that the assistance protocol for homeless people be followed, something they say has not happened. They state that they remain on the street without institutional help.
Municipal sources have said they learned of the occupation through the media. The mayor, Xavier Garcia Albiol, is scheduled to meet this Monday with the Minister for Derechos Sociales, Mònica Martínez Bravo, to address the crisis. The City Council has asked to wait until talks with the Govern are concluded before making public statements.