Barcelona relocates families from Vallcarca to Casa Orsola after months of uncertainty

The Ayuntamiento de Barcelona has begun relocating residents of Vallcarca affected by the urban development plan. Casa Orsola has become a key refuge for vulnerable families. Institutional mediation has been decisive. The process still leaves some cases unresolved.

The future of several families from Vallcarca has taken a new turn after the decision by the Ayuntamiento de Barcelona to relocate them to Casa Orsola, a building that has become a symbol of resistance for the right to housing in the city. The measure comes after months of uncertainty for those living in irregular situations in municipal properties affected by the neighbourhood's urban development.

This operation, unprecedented in Barcelona until now, has been made possible thanks to the joint purchase of the building by the council and Fundación Habitat 3. This action has prevented the immediate eviction of residents and allowed for the design of a safe relocation plan, especially for those facing economic or social vulnerability.

The intervention of the Síndic de Greuges, David Bondia, has been decisive. For the past six months, Bondia has led mediation between the parties, after receiving an official mandate from the Ayuntamiento. The process involved analysing, case by case, the situation of the 30 people occupying three municipal buildings: an industrial warehouse on Farigola street and two blocks on the avenue of Vallcarca.

Of those affected, 28 have been recognised as having the right to social inclusion housing. However, only half have accepted the relocation proposal, which involves moving to different neighbourhoods of Barcelona, as there are no immediately available flats in Vallcarca. Among those relocated is a large family who will move into Casa Orsola, while others will move to Torre Baró and the Gòtic.

The process has also involved neighbourhood organisations such as Som Barri and the Secretariado del Pueblo Gitano, who have supported negotiations and the search for housing alternatives. Meetings have taken place in various parts of the city and in municipal offices, with the aim of finding solutions tailored to each case.

On the other hand, 14 people have rejected the relocation offered, including several families with children and elderly people. The Síndic de Greuges considers his intervention closed at this stage, although he hopes that the open dialogue will facilitate future agreements for those who have not yet accepted relocation.

Casa Orsola, located in the heart of Barcelona, has in recent years gone from being a building threatened by speculation to becoming a reference point for the neighbourhood struggle for access to housing. Its recent history is marked by the mobilisation of its residents and the support of social organisations, who managed to halt eviction attempts and promote the public purchase of the property. Today, Casa Orsola represents a real alternative for vulnerable families and an example of how institutional and community collaboration can transform the fate of a neighbourhood.

The Ayuntamiento de Barcelona has started to relocate some of the residents of Vallcarca affected by the urban development plan, using Casa Orsola for the first time as a destination for vulnerable families. Of the 30 people assessed, 28 are entitled to inclusion housing, but only 14 have accepted the relocation proposals to Casa Orsola, Torre Baró and the Gòtic, while negotiations remain open for the rest.

The operation is the result of six months of mediation by the Síndic de Greuges, David Bondia, following an express mandate from the Ayuntamiento, and is considered an unprecedented solution combining public purchase, collaboration with Fundación Habitat 3, and support from neighbourhood organisations such as Som Barri and the Secretariado Gitano. Although the Síndic's intervention is considered closed, it is emphasised that the “bridges” created should help find alternatives for those still refusing relocation, in a context of strong property pressure and a lack of available housing in Vallcarca.

The future of several Vallcarca families takes a turn with the start of relocation to Casa Orsola, a building that has become a symbol of the fight for decent housing in Barcelona. After months of uncertainty and the threat of eviction, the Ayuntamiento and Fundación Habitat 3 have achieved an unprecedented solution that prevents the most vulnerable people from being left without an alternative.

The mediation of the Síndic de Greuges has been key in moving from conflict to agreement, reviewing one by one the cases of the 30 people affected by the urban development plan. Even so, the story is not over: half have accepted relocation, but there are still residents who are undecided about leaving the neighbourhood or continuing to resist.