“We are asking for a fair legal process, a standard and civilised eviction because we have been treated like a flock, with unfounded arguments,” stated Eloy Outerial, spokesperson for the 90 families who are facing eviction this Tuesday in a building located in Chasna de Costa del Silencio, in the municipality of Arona, in the south of Tenerife.
Due to the “structural weakness and risk of collapse” of a half-finished property, the Court of First Instance number 3 of Arona has ordered the eviction of 44 homes in the building. The building is currently occupied by elderly individuals, infants, and pregnant women. The City Council is making efforts to find alternative housing solutions as reported by Canary Islands Now last Friday.
Eloy Outerial mentioned that the building facing eviction has been deserted for 53 years. The families residing there have restored the building for “social purposes,” setting up their own water supply and electricity using tanks delivered by a truck and solar panels with respective batteries.
Outerial, a resident of building 8, stated that the legal dispute pertains to unit number 10 and is based on an external assessment of the building and an incomplete project resolution. He expressed concern that the judge has included building number 8 in the eviction notice based on these grounds.
Outerial stressed the need for a just legal process, describing the current situation as “unjust and inhumane.” He demanded that the eviction be declared null and void out of compassion for the affected families.
Additionally, the spokesperson for the residents criticised the unprofessional manner in which they were informed about the eviction, highlighting that a notice was simply “pasted on the entrance without a seal or signature,” leaving one neighbour to relay the information to the community.
As they face eviction, Outerial explained to EFE that they had requested a pavilion from the Arona City Council a month ago but the request was denied. He suspects that the council feared transparency issues, leading to the rejection of their housing alternative.
Outerial mentioned that the Arona City Council has been aware of the building’s situation and its occupants since 2021. He questioned why registrations of new occupants continued after this knowledge, surpassing the capacity limits set for the building.
Exasperated, Outerial pondered, “Is this some sort of social experiment?” He criticised the lack of support provided to reinforce the building against the alleged imminent risk, stating that no action has been taken despite the urgency communicated.
When questioned about the families’ welfare amidst the looming eviction, he detailed his concerns and frustrations.
The residence is occupied by a mix of individuals, including Ukrainian refugees seeking asylum, as well as disabled and chronically ill residents. The situation has been completely disregarded.
Mention is made of the court ruling that, as Ruth Martín, the Councilor for Social Services of Arona City Council, informed EFE, “has failed to consider the vulnerability reports, as the safety of the residents takes precedence in this case.”
“We feel utterly helpless and perceive this as an abuse of power,” states a family spokesperson, emphasizing that the 90 families living in Chasna building “are not trespassers; they do not resort to forced entry or tamper with utilities. We are hard-working individuals.”
“We are being treated like unwanted intruders, as if we were unruly youths who took over a playground, with the intent of causing chaos and then abandoning it,” he adds.
The residents in Costa del Silencio are resigned to facing the impending eviction but are prepared to resist peacefully, particularly those in apartment number 8, where “there is only one pending administrative decision and no official report.”
“If a place can be inhabited by cats when abandoned, why can’t people live there?” he questions, proposing that if the building is to be reclaimed, they should at least be compensated for their 8 years of residency.
