Roda de Berà calculates that it has 90 empty homes that the Generalitat could expropriate

The Roda de Berà City Council (Tarragona) estimates that there are 90 empty homes belonging to large owners in the municipality that could be expropriated by the Generalitat, given that they have been unoccupied for two years. It is the reaction of the consistory to the announcement made by the Government on May 9, when the executive assured that the procedures would begin to expropriate 189 homes from 14 Catalan municipalities to allocate them to social rent under Law 1/2022.

The acting mayor, Pere Virgili, assures that the Generalitat has not yet contacted the City Council to address this issue and that they do not know which floors are affected. Virgili asks that it be the block of flats in the Martorell square, vacated in November of last year.

From the City Council they positively value the approach of the Government. Currently, they already have six homes in the public park and, with these, Virgili hopes that they will help to “regulate” and “stop” the rental price in the municipality of Costa. In addition, it should be noted that Roda de Berà has almost 600 homes for tourist use. The acting mayor is aware that this type of rental, for days, weeks or months, “ends up making the rental rates more expensive.”

In the building in the Martorell square there are up to thirteen homes from a vulture fund. Virgili comments that they have tried to contact them an “infinity of times”, but the conversations have not prospered. The block had been occupied and, in November 2022, the Roda de Berà Local Police acted to evict it. “It caused us serious problems of coexistence and security”, highlights the mayor. Virgili indicates that, from these floors, the tenants organized “criminal acts.” For now it is closed and sealed to avoid another occupation.

The municipality has suffered several occupations in flats and chalets in recent years. In fact, the residents have organized themselves and have posted posters around the housing estates warning that they are in contact with the police. Even the City Council has installed video surveillance cameras in some points such as the Martorell square.

To deal with this problem, the council unanimously approved the Empty Home Inspection Plan in February 2022, although it has not yet been implemented. With this tool they intend to review 30 properties that have been unoccupied for 2 years, in order to prepare a report and promote social rental. Virgili hopes to be able to launch it from September 2023.