The Zaragoza Tenants’ Union managed to prevent the eviction of all the families residing in a building located on San José Avenue, in the neighborhood of the same name, after several months of conflict with the property. The landlord company had informed the tenants of its intention to implement a rent increase of up to 60%, an increase that the families described as unaffordable and which, according to the union, posed a direct threat of eviction for those who did not accept the new conditions.
Among those affected are Matilde and José, as well as eight other families who had lived in the building for years. A few months ago, they received a letter in which the property gave them a short deadline to accept the new rental price or abandon the houses. Faced with this situation, one of the neighbors contacted the Zaragoza Tenants’ Union, which began to support the residents in the collective organization of the conflict and in the constitution of what they call a “struggling bloc”.
The union denounces that the property is in very poor condition, with maintenance problems that the property has not resolved for years, failing to respect its obligations as owner. Despite this, they argue, the aim was to impose “totally unaffordable market prices” on most working families, which include people of migrant origin and households with dependent minors. For them, they explain, the required increase meant “direct expulsion from their homes and neighborhoods.”
During the process, the Tenants Union claims that the property attempted to intimidate and divide neighbors through individual pressure and trying to disassociate them from the organization. However, the collective response made it possible to stop these maneuvers and forced the company to back down. Finally, the contracts of all homes were renewed without applying the announced increase, which guarantees the continuity of families in their homes.
“We were made to believe that rent increases were inevitable and that leaving our homes was what we had to do, but that is not true,” says the Zaragoza Tenants Union, which considers this case an example of how collective organization can achieve “real victories.” They also add that the problem transcends this specific conflict and points to a structural model: “As long as housing remains a commodity and a business, it cannot be guaranteed as a right.”
One of the affected neighbors points out that “without the support of the union, many families would no longer be here” and acknowledges that initial fear has given way to greater collective strength through organizing. The Zaragoza Tenants’ Union took advantage of this case to call on the city’s tenants to organize and unite to defend the right to housing and put an end to property-related abuses.
About The Author
