Around three years ago, a petition was raised demanding an end to a squat in Puerto Alcudia that is at a one-time tennis and squash centre. On the main Carretera Arta road through the resort, the image this gives is deplorable. Nothing ever came of the petition.
The units by the old courts used to include a bar, the local lottery office and a gestor's office. These all closed some years ago. The tennis courts themselves haven't been used for at least ten years. The sense of abandonment is total.
The owners are said to be a hotel group. There is a dispute that Alcudia Town Hall has been trying unsuccessfully to resolve. In the past there was talk of seeking a transfer of the property. But the problem continues.
There have been squatters ever since the units were abandoned. Loli, one of the longest-standing residents, says there are around twenty people. "Upstairs, there are people who have caused problems, and the police have had to come, but most of us are normal, quiet people, workers, or sick people like me." Due to a medical condition, she is unable to work.
They have electricity and there is water thanks to a well. "We've cleaned it up to live decently," Loli adds, explaining she been looking for an apartment for five years but that this has been impossible. She says that social services come regularly, as do the security forces. Drugs and fights have been reasons.
There are different nationalities, Spaniards plus people from north Africa and eastern Europe. Some work in the hospitality industry. For Loli, all she wants is a home she can afford - "Nothing more." The tennis-courts squat is her affordable home. Loli is one of the victims of the housing crisis. But it is a crisis that can create a situation as disgraceful and as enduring as this is.