Mazón announces a plan to combat 'squatters' and will launch an office to assist those affected

The President of the Generalitat has announced his new plan to end the illegal occupation of homes. Carlos Mazón presented the Comprehensive Plan against Housing Occupation this Thursday, which includes measures to 'prevent, combat, and reduce the activities of squatters'. Among the proposed measures is a support centre for those affected, offering legal and psychological assistance.

The occupation of homes has increased in recent years in Alicante, although it is still far from other major cities. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, last year the cases of squatters rose to 687 across the province, averaging nearly 50 per month, making it the sixth territory with the most cases in Spain.

In response to this issue, Mazón has introduced an initiative that 'addresses the high level of social alarm, distrust, and deterioration of the housing market's coexistence' and asserts that a 'coordinated, realistic, and effective response is necessary, but also sensitive to social reality'.

The plan is being developed transversally, involving the First Vice Presidency and the Ministry of Social Services, Equality and Housing; the Ministry of Justice and Public Administrations; and the Ministry of Emergencies and Interior, in addition to the Ministry of Health.

The measure includes the creation of an office to assist those affected by illegal occupations, which will start next week and will 'feature a telephone support system for immediate assistance via the 012 number'. Additionally, personalised and professional advice from lawyers, psychologists, and social workers will be available to property owners through the network of 37 Victim Assistance Offices and the 66 JustipProp centres across the Community.

Mazón's plan focuses on those affected and providing them with support. The President argued that they 'often present significant levels of stress, anxiety, and frustration and will now have support from the very beginning', from these centres, whose workers have been training in this aspect over the past few months.

Furthermore, he explained that specialised training has also been provided to the lawyers attending to the victims, both legally and psychologically, and that anti-occupation protocols will be developed for the actions of police and public employees, in collaboration with the Valencian Council of Bar Associations.

Among the other measures within the initiative is the drafting of an Informative Guide on how to prevent occupation and how to act in its presence, which will be promoted through the Town Halls with the participation of the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP) and via 012. The aim is to disseminate a protocol of action 'in situations of occupation and inquioccupation', explained the President.

Additionally, he highlighted that local and regional police will be trained through IVASPE for immediate assistance in the event of flagrant occupation crimes, and a telematic connection will be created 'to allow Generalitat officials and the Police to immediately know who the owner of the illegally occupied property is to expedite the eviction process', Mazón assures.

Another planned measure is to establish a coordination system with Social Services to assess potential vulnerability situations, Mazón indicated, highlighting that with this plan 'we fully deploy all the competencies of the Generalitat'. However, he added that 'much more can and should be done', but it is up to the central Government and the General Courts.