Lleida City Council has launched its annual support system for seasonal agricultural workers, with the new CATemporers facility in Caparrella set to prioritise people who already have work contracts. The city says the aim is to help workers linked to Lleida’s Horta area, or hired through the new Labour Intermediation Office, find temporary accommodation.
Carlos Enjuanes, deputy mayor and councillor for Social Action and Innovation, said the model builds on previous efforts to improve care for seasonal workers. The first stop for arrivals is the centralised Oficina Única at Mercolleida, which opened on 1 June and handles registration, initial social support and referrals to housing, health care or employment services.
The CATemporers facility will offer 32 places and is expected to open in the coming days, according to Enjuanes. It is designed for people with labour contracts and works in a similar way to shared flats, with added support and follow-up. The daily cost is €5, the same as places in EMAU-managed housing.
Priority will go to workers with existing contracts, especially those working in Lleida’s Horta or hired through the Labour Intermediation Office. The council will also take transport into account, giving preference to people who have their own vehicle or easy access to their workplace. The site can be reached by bike lane and by the L-10 Llívia, Caparrella bus route.
Other parts of the municipal system remain in place for different profiles. Pavilion 3 at Fira de Lleida has 100 places for people without a labour contract, with stays of up to seven days and services including meals, showers, laundry and luggage storage. It will run until 31 August. Serós accommodation, with 40 places, has been open since early May and will continue into September, while EMAU-managed flats provide about 90 places across 16 homes until 30 September. There are also four reserved places for vulnerable people, especially those with health problems or older residents.
The city has also launched a Labour Intermediation Office to connect agricultural businesses with workers, support consecutive contracts and reduce pressure on welfare services. Enjuanes said the approach is shifting from one focused only on social care to one more centred on employment integration. Last year, about 1,000 people used the municipal system, and around 400 did not have documentation to work. The council expects some of that group may now be able to enter the labour market.
The city says the service is now managed year-round, with stronger coordination between Lleida City Council, the Government of Catalonia, Lleida Provincial Council, the Segrià County Council and the SOC, the Catalan Employment Service. It is also keeping shower and laundry services for people sleeping rough, and promoting climate shelters during periods of high heat. The council said arrivals have not risen sharply compared with previous years so far, and services will be adjusted to demand.