Barcelona is currently experiencing a new battle for the soul of its neighborhoods, this time with Carrer de Sant Agustí as the epicenter. The investment fund New Amsterdam Developers (NAD) has marked Wednesday, March 25, on its calendar to carry out the eviction of Txema Escorsa. He is the first tenant facing eviction from a building that the company intends to convert into a coliving space, a business model that has put the entire Gràcia neighborhood on alert.
The company’s strategy involves gradually vacating the 11 buildings it recently acquired in the city to subdivide the units and build high-priced coliving spaces. According to complaints from the Gràcia Tenants’ Union and the Gràcia Housing Union, this approach seeks to circumvent rent control regulations by renting out rooms, transforming homes into high-profit products.
A “marathon” of neighborhood resistance
To prevent Txema—and later the rest of the residents—from having to leave their homes, the neighborhood has organized a schedule of protests reminiscent of the major resistance efforts at Casa Orsola. Following the informational outreach efforts of recent days, the agenda for the weekend and the start of next week will be packed:
- Saturday: Distribution of informational flyers at local businesses.
- Sunday (12:00 p.m.): Banner-making workshop at Plaça del Sol.
- Tuesday (7:00 p.m.): A parade starting at Plaça de la Vila, ending with an evening of resistance, concerts, and a sleep-in in front of the building to wait for dawn on Wednesday.
The Numbers Behind ‘Coliving’: Business or Fraud?
The conflict highlights the real impact of this housing model. The union’s data is revealing: while a rent-controlled apartment in the area costs around 800 euros, dividing the space into rooms will allow the fund to earn more than 900 euros per room.
This practice will increase the property’s profitability sixfold, a phenomenon that neighborhood organizations point to as the main driver behind the mass eviction of residents from the city’s high-rise buildings. The goal of the mobilization will be clear: to demonstrate that, in the face of vulture funds’ interests, the neighborhood fabric of Gràcia still has a lot to say.
