Stop Evictions denounces Goia’s “intimidation and demolition” against the platform

Stop evictions has assured that it has only brought legal action against a new construction project in San Sebastián, that of Igara, and not against two, as the mayor of San Sebastian reported: Eneko Goiawho he asked “rectify” your “unfounded” criticisms and accusations against the platform.

Your spokesperson, Rosa Garcíamade these statements this Friday at a press conference in front of the town hall of the capital Gipuzkoa, in which he rejected “the attacks” of the mayor and explained the terms of the platform’s call against the urban development of Igara , where it is planned to 252 apartments to be built, 40% of which are protected.

Goia announced last Tuesday in his appearance after the municipal council that Stop Evictions had filed a controversial administrative appeal with the Supreme Court of the Basque Country (TSJPV) against the planned developments in Igara and Illarra, described this initiative as “particularly serious” and “difficult to understand”, he opined that it tries to “torpedo” the development of new apartments and placed it in the position of “those who are trying to paralyze all projects in the city”.

García has stated that there is a judicial appeal against the Illarra development, but not filed by his group, but “filed two years ago by the Lugaritz neighborhood association”, demanding that half of the 262 apartments planned there as VPO , be increased by 75%. “as established by law, at least, for cultivable land”, as is the case.

At a press conference next to the city hall of the capital Gipuzkoa, the spokesperson of Stop Evictions, Rosa García, said, accompanied by members of the platform and representatives of other associations and groups in the city, such as Satorralaia or Donostia Defendatuz, as well as Elkarrekin, Sumar and, among others Ezker, Anitza-IU or the CCOO and Steilas unions, have said the group is “surprised” and does not understand “the attacks and criticisms” of the mayor, much less when “they do.” I do not know the terms or arguments of the appeal, since in reality the platform, as specified, has only registered with the TSJPV “the announcement” of this, which will be formalized in the near future.

García has emphasized that Stop evictions “does not torpedo” housing construction in Igaraon the old site of El Diario Vasco, but with his judicial initiative aims to “increase the minimum legal quota of 40% of the VPO”. in that neighborhood and that all homes are ‘exclusively intended for social housing’.

The appeal will be based on the housing and constitutions, pointed out, after which he pointed out that the development of Igara “involves both the company El Diario Vasco and the promoter Amenabar”, and that both “will gain significant benefits” from sales on the open market and thanks to the ” increase in buildability that the city council has allowed” as a way to “compensate for the minimum reserve of 40% of VPO”, something that, according to what he said, was not even planned initially.

“At no time have we put a spanner in the wheel of the city council,” proclaimed the activist, who emphasized that in the ten years that the platform has been active, it has been committed to defending the citizens’ right to “decent and affordable housing”to fight “banks, investment funds and large property owners who speculate and evict vulnerable families,” and to tackle the “housing market emergency.”

She has been hurt by the mayor of San Sebastián and has asked him to “correct” to restore “the prestige of this platform”, whose “good work”, as she recalled, was even recognized with the Golden Drum of San Sebastian. which she herself received in 2019.

After participating in the Stop Evictions meeting and performing, San Sebastian councilors of Elkarrekin Podemos, Víctor Lasa and Arantza González, released two statements intervening in the controversy and criticizing the PNV mayor for his statements against the platform.

González has called them “inadmissible” and has reminded the mayor that “if someone in democracy understands that rights are being violated, he has all the legitimacy to resort to the courts,” while Lasa has drawn attention to the fact that , in his nine years at the head of a municipal government with an absolute majority, has not promoted “any major public housing project” nor has he applied “the Basque housing law” in the city.

The Deputy of Urban Planning and Housing, Nekane Arzallus, for her part, also released statements this Friday in which she emphasizes that the San Sebastián City Council “has worked in such a way that on the plot of Igara, “where it is a hotel”, housing planned, 40% of the VPO, and regrets that “perhaps” the call could delay the promotion “two or three years”, while there are about 7,000 applicants for protected apartments on the municipal lists.