On February 26, an eviction moratorium in effect since the start of the pandemic was lifted. It is estimated that the removal of this social safety net could directly affect some 60,000 families in Spain, including 1,200 in the Balearics.
One lawyer, Miquel Àngel Mas, of DMS Legal, has already noted that evictions of people in vulnerable situations have begun to resume. The moratorium, initially implemented as a temporary measure, lasted longer than anticipated, and Mas believes this has caused a distortion. "It's difficult to argue that an extraordinary measure born out of the Covid crisis could have somehow become indefinite." Maintaining the suspension of legal proceedings without an expiration date "had begun to distort the system".
Suspending proceedings "indefinitely" made no sense, since temporary is "the essence" of any emergency measure. It was an extraordinary measure in a very specific context.
Mas says the measure has helped many families, but one of the most significant side effects of the "uncertainty" surrounding housing has been the reaction of certain NGOs and foundations. "Some of these organisations have stopped renting homes to families with children for fear of not being able to regain possession of the property if needed, thus blocking the turnover of social housing and preventing them from fulfilling their purpose."
Suspending evictions is not a solution. Structural policies are needed, including expanding the public housing stock, which in the Balearics consists of just over 2,500 homes. Mas also believes it is necessary to rethink the commercial use of housing, which implies that sectors such as tourist rentals and large investors must make concessions to balance the market.