Platform Dissolves Amid Declining Participation
PAH Ciudad de L’Hospitalet has formally ceased its activities after eleven years of advocating for housing rights in the city. The organisation announced its dissolution in August 2026, citing a sustained lack of engagement from affected residents as the primary reason. According to former president Antonio Torres, the platform could no longer sustain collective action. "We decided to close. It wasn't because of banks or because it's more complicated to work in the fight for the right to housing. It was because people weren't getting involved with the organization," he said.
Legacy of Eviction Resistance and Housing Support
During its operation, PAH L’Hospitalet reported supporting over 1,500 families, halting more than 650 evictions and securing over 140 social housing rentals. One of its notable achievements was negotiating some of the lowest recorded social rent payments in Spain, as low as €2.25 per month. Estrella Ambrojo, former spokesperson, expressed frustration that many individuals treated the group as a service rather than a collective movement. "They solved their problems and then disappeared, not even coming to say thank you," she said.
Continued Advocacy Through New Channels
Despite the closure, both Torres and Ambrojo will continue public advocacy through 'La voz de L’Hospitalet', a radio programme produced at Torre Barrina, the city’s civic media hub. The municipal government continues to address housing insecurity through initiatives like the Bolsa de mediación al alquiler social, which helps match low-income households with affordable rentals, and the Plan Local de Abordaje del Sinhogarismo 2025–2030, aimed at preventing homelessness through coordinated social services.
Primary sources: Ajuntament de L'Hospitalet, l-h.cat. Reported by lhdigital.cat, elperiodico.com, PAH Barcelona, LHDigital (L'Hospitalet).
