Crisis: 40,000 apartments repossessd in Spain
83% families unable to pay, says survey
(ANSAmed) - Madrid, 15 May - Almost 40,000 apartments were repossessed in Spain in 2012 due to the economic crisis. According to a survey by the Spanish central bank, 83% of the residents were families unable to pay their housing loans due to the impact of the crisis.
The evictions were reportedly linked to around 15 suicides since January last year. The rise in insolvency has been accelerated by an unemployment rate of 26.5%. There are now six million people without work but 57% of young people are jobless in Spain.
Of the total number of 39,167 homes, 32,490 were the families' only residence.
At least 2,405 families were evicted and in 355 cases police were called to enforce the measures.
More than half the repossessions (20,972) took place voluntarily and of those 75% were considered payment to extinguish outstanding housing debt.
To deal with this phenomenon, the centre-right government of Mariano Rajoy last year presented a legislative proposal to delay the evictions for two years in cases where people were particularly disadvantaged.
That was approved by a few votes due to the Partito Popolare's majority in the parliament.
A proposal backed by the opposition and eviction support groups and more than 1.5 million signatures called for a total block on evictions and other forms of payment including rental or social services payments.
A new law was approved two weeks ago with a single vote from the PP but does not contain any of the recommendations contained in the petition.
The law says the block on evictions should not be retroactive and that banks cannot directly carry out repossessions after three months of payment breaches by loan recipients.
The largest eviction association (PAH) last year blocked 650 repossessions and recently occupied a Barcelona bank to raise awareness in support of people facing eviction.
The evictions were reportedly linked to around 15 suicides since January last year. The rise in insolvency has been accelerated by an unemployment rate of 26.5%. There are now six million people without work but 57% of young people are jobless in Spain.
Of the total number of 39,167 homes, 32,490 were the families' only residence.
At least 2,405 families were evicted and in 355 cases police were called to enforce the measures.
More than half the repossessions (20,972) took place voluntarily and of those 75% were considered payment to extinguish outstanding housing debt.
To deal with this phenomenon, the centre-right government of Mariano Rajoy last year presented a legislative proposal to delay the evictions for two years in cases where people were particularly disadvantaged.
That was approved by a few votes due to the Partito Popolare's majority in the parliament.
A proposal backed by the opposition and eviction support groups and more than 1.5 million signatures called for a total block on evictions and other forms of payment including rental or social services payments.
A new law was approved two weeks ago with a single vote from the PP but does not contain any of the recommendations contained in the petition.
The law says the block on evictions should not be retroactive and that banks cannot directly carry out repossessions after three months of payment breaches by loan recipients.
The largest eviction association (PAH) last year blocked 650 repossessions and recently occupied a Barcelona bank to raise awareness in support of people facing eviction.
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