L'Escala, in Girona province, is facing a housing access problem that needs local action, according to Etna Estrems, the ERC councillor and MP who leads the opposition in the town. She says the municipality is stalled and that residents are still dealing with weak day-to-day services.
Speaking to L'Empordà, Estrems said the town is in the same position, or worse, than at the start of the current term. She pointed to complaints about waste collection, street cleaning, neighbourhood upkeep and playground maintenance, including in the old town.
Estrems, who is an architect and a graduate in audiovisual communication, said the main issue is not a lack of homes, but access to them. She cited Idescat data showing that L'Escala has 14,400 homes, but only 4,700 are primary residences, meaning 72% are not used as main homes.
She said many of those properties are empty bank-owned homes or are occupied only for short periods each year. Estrems warned that if housing is not addressed, the town's future is at risk. She also criticised the Socialist Party of Catalonia, which has governed L'Escala for 20 years, for not putting municipal housing policies in place.
According to Estrems, the town hall's housing plan is weak, with only two of 25 measures focused on obtaining housing and only one of those being a municipal initiative, the renovation of a flat in the port. She said ERC has been asking for that project for a decade, and that the town is relying too heavily on the Generalitat's long-pending promise of flats in La Closa del Llop.
ERC's municipal group has also visited other councils with public housing programmes, including Salt and Cardona. Estrems said Cardona has 26 municipal homes, while L'Escala has none. She argued that the lack of housing affects local young people, essential workers such as doctors for the CAP, and summer staff, creating social and tourism problems.
Estrems also said she is working in Congress on issues that affect L'Escala, including the possible municipal ownership of Casa del Mar. She said she has spoken with the Secretary of State and confirmed that municipal ownership could be possible. Looking ahead to the final year of the mandate, she said ERC's priorities are closer contact with residents, more ambition in local planning, and better urban transport for older people living outside the centre. For more local coverage, see our news page.