Eleven vulnerable families in Barcelona have received the keys to the Emergency Board flats where they will now live. The Mayoress of Barcelona, Ada Colau, and the councillor for Housing of Barcelona City Council, Lucía Martín, welcomed them and handed over the keys to their new homes. Martín has highlighted that “today is a very happy day, for you and for us, because we are very concerned to know there are people waiting”.
The Emergency Board aims to guarantee the right to decent housing for those who are vulnerable and at risk of social exclusion. That is why today’s event is a key moment, as by guaranteeing the right to housing it is providing more than just somewhere to live. “A home is more than just a roof and four walls, it is also somewhere you can breathe, be at peace and deal with the other aspects of your life”, reminded Colau.
The councillor for Housing, Lucía Martín, spoke about the importance of continuing to work to increase the number of available properties for vulnerable people and to reduce the waiting list of people who need emergency housing. “Over the last few years, we have made a very great effort. Consider that in the last five years we have bought 1,200 flats to make them available to people who need a home like yourselves. That is an investment of 130 million euros”, commented Martín. She also explained that a lot of public housing is being built that will also be used to respond to the needs of people waiting for a home from the Emergency Board.
How to apply for an Emergency Board property
The Emergency Board is a mechanism of the Housing Consortium to guarantee the right to housing of vulnerable people. To access it, the first step is to go to a Housing Office which will study the case and draft a report that must be assessed by the Emergency Board.
To be a candidate for rehousing, it is necessary to be in an economic and social emergency, to be in a process of eviction due to rent payment debts, foreclosure or surrender of the property as payment for a mortgage debt, in a situation of residential exclusion due to domestic violence or in the property in question there are minors, elderly people or those living in a situation of neglect, in precarious hygienic, sanitary and safety conditions.
The Board assesses the files issued by the Barcelona Housing Offices and assigns the available housing every month. The assignments can be consulted here.
If there are more positively assessed files than flats available, housing from the “Empty Flats” programme will be assigned as they are incorporated into the Social Rental Housing Fund until the Board meeting for the following month is held.
You may consult all the information and the regulations of the Emergency Board on the Housing Consortium website.