Eviction proceeds despite social and municipal appeals
A family including a child, two people with disabilities and a single mother was evicted from their home in the Cerdanyola neighbourhood of Mataró on Tuesday 29 September 2026, after a large police presence enabled the judicial enforcement of the eviction. The operation began in the early hours, with multiple police vans and officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra securing the area around the property on Ronda de la Cerdanya from 6:30 am, according to reports from capgros.elnacional.cat. The eviction took place despite protests by dozens of residents and housing activists who gathered to block the action. The household consisted of seven people, including Jordi, a man with an 85% to 87% disability due to a rare condition affecting his mental health, and his sister Alicia, a single mother of three children, one of whom is autistic. The family had lived in the apartment for 11 years.
No alternative housing secured
The Mataró City Council had formally requested a short delay from the court to explore alternatives, but the appeal was not upheld. Municipal social services were involved in the case, but no emergency housing solution had been arranged by the morning of the eviction. Alicia, the family's main spokesperson, stated in a video released by the Mataró Socialist Housing Union that her monthly income of around €1,000 was insufficient to cover the €700 monthly rent. She said she had been paying partial rent for months, prioritising food and school expenses, which led to accumulated arrears. She criticised property manager Investmar, a large landlord based in Mataró, for refusing proposals to either reduce the rent to a social rate or allow repayment of the debt in instalments.
I cannot end up on the street with a minor child. I have been searching for help, but everything is too expensive.
Alicia said social services offered only three days in a hostel, which she does not consider a viable solution. She is now calling for urgent intervention through the municipal emergency housing table to secure social housing.
Housing decree fails to prevent eviction
The eviction occurred on the same day the Spanish government was due to approve a new housing decree in Madrid, intended to suspend evictions of vulnerable households until 31 December 2028. The measure was fast-tracked following the high-profile eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen in Madrid last week. Pilar Sánchez of the Mataró Housing Union said the new decree, even if approved, would not retroactively stop this eviction. However, she noted it could prevent similar cases if fully implemented. Under the draft rules, courts must verify that alternative housing is available before evicting vulnerable households. If no local authority can provide housing, the eviction must be suspended. The text still requires parliamentary validation within 30 days of publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE). The timing of the Mataró eviction, on the day the decree was set to be approved, has intensified criticism of current housing protections and highlighted the gap between policy announcements and on-the-ground enforcement.
Reported by en.ara.cat, elconstitucional.es, capgros.elnacional.cat, ara.cat, Diari ARA.
