Video: @shabitatgeclotcampdelarpa, @coshac_sindicat, @petitamer / IG
Officers have carried out a third attempt to evict a resident in El Clot, Barcelona, over unpaid rent, prompting nearly 70 people to gather in protest on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The demonstration was organised by the Confederació Sindical d'Habitatge de Catalunya (COSHAC) and the Sindicat d'Habitatge del Clot-Camp de l'Arpa, who called on supporters to block the eviction.
The Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, removed protesters one by one as they resisted outside the property. The resident, a woman with a nine-year-old son, has acknowledged she was warned the eviction would proceed today following two prior failed attempts. It is not confirmed whether her son was present during the operation.
The tenants' unions claim the eviction was inevitable, arguing the woman fell victim to a rental scam and does not qualify for protection under the housing decree enacted on 8 October 2026 following the Maricarmen Abascal case. That decree, officially known as Royal Decree-Law 12/2026, extends eviction protections until 31 December 2030 for vulnerable individuals with no alternative housing.
Despite the legal framework, the property owner, a private company, refused to negotiate a social rent or alternative arrangement. According to the union, the woman had been renting without a formal contract and faced sharply increased demands after attempting to formalise her tenancy.
Broader Context: Housing Protections Under Review
The case in El Clot contrasts with other recent outcomes under the new decree. On 1 October 2026, an eviction in Sant Andreu was suspended after the Tenants’ Union demanded application of the Maricarmen decree, citing the resident’s vulnerable status and lack of alternative housing. Enric Aragonès, spokesperson for the union, confirmed it was the first such suspension under the new rules.
However, on 8 October 2026, a single mother and two minors were evicted from La Rambla despite invoking the same decree. The Barcelona City Council confirmed the family had sought protection under the new law, but the judge did not suspend the eviction. The Tribunal Superior de Justícia de Catalunya (TSJC) stated the landlord, an elderly woman with mortgage commitments, was also at risk of vulnerability.
The case of Maca is the first instance we are aware of where the Maricarmen decree has halted an eviction, said Enric Aragonès of the Tenants’ Union.
The divergent outcomes highlight ongoing legal and social tensions over the decree’s implementation. While intended to protect vulnerable tenants, its application remains inconsistent across cases.
Reported by lasexta.com, ARA, Marta Puig i Vidal, lne.es, La Sexta Barcelona.
