Elche offers housing solutions to 59 families evicted from San Antón

Elche City Council, through the departments of Social Action and Family, has completed a real diagnosis of the situation of the 59 family units evicted last week from block 8 of the San Antón neighbourhood. Based on this report, the Council has offered a housing alternative to all of them "in record time," according to the mayor, Pablo Ruz.

Ruz has sent a message of hope to all residents in the face of this "unprecedented emergency situation to which we have responded in just one week." He made it clear that "it was a challenge we had to respond to, and we have done so."

In this regard, the Councillor for Social Action, Celia Lastra, noted that of the 59 family units assessed over the past few days, 31 are homeowners. Thus, the City Council, through Pimesa, has made available 28 homes that are being assigned in pre-ownership, and the remaining 3 will have priority in the allocation of the new building of 45 homes that will soon be put out to tender, and in the meantime, they will be housed in apartments provided by the Conciénciate Foundation.

"We appreciate the tremendous effort made by Pimesa to allocate these homes so quickly and taking on a very complex legal situation," Lastra assured.

On the other hand, 28 families from block 8 were renting, of which 11 had a contract, 6 lacked supporting documents, another 6 were provided by relatives and could not prove the situation, and the remaining 5 were there irregularly.

The head of Social Action indicated that temporary rental resources have been made available to these families in homes donated by the City Council, the Conciénciate Foundation, Abrazo de Luz, EVA, and the Conciénciate Foundation's shelter. She also pointed out that six of the families renting have declined the housing alternatives offered by the City Council.

Furthermore, a call for direct aid to those affected will soon be established through two lines of action. On one hand, rental assistance for tenants, and on the other, furniture acquisition for those who have lost their belongings. These emergency funds will be financed with the 360,000 euros allocated by the Generalitat Valenciana. Part of this amount will cover the costs of the hotels where residents have been accommodated since last Thursday morning.

The councillor noted that the six families who have declined this housing solution offered by the City Council will still be eligible for direct aid. The Councillor for Childhood, Family, and Seniors, Aurora Rodil, stated that this situation has represented an "unexpected challenge that has been addressed swiftly, because from the start, the priority for this government has been to preserve and ensure the integrity and safety of the residents of San Antón." She made it clear that "a week later, the City Council has provided a dignified and fair solution for everyone."

The coordinator of the Social Action Area, Marga Galiano, highlighted the work of the 30 professionals from the departments of Social Action and Family. Throughout this week, social workers, educators, and psychologists have carried out support tasks for the displaced people, including psychological support, individual interviews, allocation of housing resources, or relocation in hotels, among others.

Additionally, the president of the Conciénciate Foundation, Gorka Chazarra, has valued the work of the Foundation's technical team and the 50 volunteers during these days, focusing on family care, assistance in relocations, laundry support, essential materials, and pet transportation, among others. "It has been a historic response to this unprecedented emergency," he concluded.