In Crisis

Buildings España and Torre Madrid. Sunset in Madrid, after a stormy day.

Moments before being evicted, one of Antonio Tomás’ housemates, looks out the window and the protestors and police below. Leganés, Madrid, December 14, 2011. Antonio Tomás, originally from Guinea Bissau, came to Spain in 2006. In 2009 he bought his flat after working for years in construction.

Keny Alfaro cries as she sits on a mattress on the floor of her home while she waits for the order of eviction to arrive. Cuantro Vientos, Madrid. May 14, 2013. Originally from El Salvador, Keny Alfaro rented her apartment in 2012, living with her daughter and a friend. Although she paid the monthly 400 Euros in rent, the owner stopped paying the mortgage and Keny is evicted as a result.

An attempted eviction of María Dolores Ferrer Agudo, 34 years old. July 10, 2013. She has two kids, Nerea Gonzalez Ferrer, 13, and Cristian González Ferrer, 9 . A victim of domestic violence, she is currently unemployed. She squatted an empty apartment belonging to the City of Madrid, 17 years ago. She tried to negotiate with housing authorities to pay rent, but they refused and will have her evicted.

Riot police stand guard outside the home of Susana Santiago and Ángel Giménez on July 8, 2013, the day there was an attempt to evict them. Both are unemployed and with two children. They squatted an empty apartment owned by the City of Madrid in 2012. The tried to negotiate with the housing authority to pay rent and on July 8, managed to stay the eviction until July 24, when they were finally evicted.

Nieves Gómez closes the curtains, the day of her eviction, July 3, 2013. She is 45 years old and has two children, Yanire, 9, and Aingeru, 6. The three of them live in an apartment belonging to the grandparents from their fathers side, assigned there by court order after their parents divorced. Nieves does not receive the monthly payments of 150 Euros from her ex. She suffered abuse by him, and has a restraining order out on him. The grandparents presented them with a court order to leave as they want to give the apartment to their other son and his family. Nieves fought back in court, saying that they are grandchildren and that there is other property that can be used. This was the third attempt at eviction and they managed to stay the order.

Loli covers her face in front of the officials who come to tell her that she, her mother and her brother will all be evicted from their home in Getafe. Antonio, 70 years old, suffers heart problems. She stopped paying rent in 1994 and is being evicted by the Housing authority of the city of Madrid, the owners of the apartment.

Students protest in Madrid during the General Strike of November 14, 2012.

Police enter into Antonio Tomás’ apartment, along with the court order for eviction. Leganés, Madrid, December 14, 2011. Antonio Tomás, originally from Guinea Bissau, came to Spain in 2006. In 2009 he bought his apartment after working for years in construction.

A women sits in the doorway of her building in the plaza de Cabestreros in Madrid.

An elderly woman intervenes with Police on behalf of a young woman, arrested during a demonstration against the new security law in front of the police station in Moratalaz, Madrid. November 28, 2013. The law is known as the “ley mordaza” and has been pushed through by the conservative PP government.

Verónica Ariza reaches out for her husband’s hand, moments before they are to be evicted. November 25, 2013. Verónica and her husband Iván Sandoval live in the Juan Bautista Monegro, 10 of Torrejón de Ardoz in Madrid. In 2009 they rented the apartment with the option of buying it for 401 Euros a month. In 2013, the mortgage went up to 513 a month + 300 property tax each year. By 2012 they stopped making payments. By January 2013 they owed 5086,44 Euros and 15 months of rent. Their income is 440 Euros a month. She has one child who’s 2, another who’s 6, and a 7 year old foster child, who is the daughter of a sister sufferring from bipolar disorder. Iván is from Ecuador and does not have residency. Their apartment, along with the whole apartment block belongs to Bankia and is administered by a company called Madrid Patrimonio Inmobiliario II.

Students picket the municipal bus station in Madrid during the General Strike of March 29, 2012.

Two police detain and young man during a demonstration against the new security law. November 28, 2013. In front of the police station in Moratalaz, Madrid. The law is known as the “ley mordaza” and has been pushed through by the conservative PP government.

Lourdes Ruiz Rubio (front) and her sister Jesica (middle) and an activist of the Housing Assembly of Torrejón de Ardo , Beatriz, look through the window of the Lourdes’ apartment as the judicial commission arrives with an eviction notice. December 2, 2013 . Lourdes Ruiz Rubio, 19 years old, lives with husband David, 31 years old. They have a son, Aitor, 1 year old, and David, 2 years old, from previous marriage. Lourdes is currently 8 months pregnant. Their apartment, Avenida de la Democracia 10, Portal 2, is rented with option to buy. The contract was held by another woman who had previously lived there. That woman could not pay the rent and accumulated a debt of 1500 euros. When she tried to hand in the keys to the place, the realtor Martinesa Fadesa refused to accept without payment. S o, the woman then gave him the keys to Lourdes Ruiz Rubio who needed a place to live. Lourdes and David squatted the place September 2013. Both Lourdes and David are unemployed. David who previously worked as a tru

Luisa González, wife of Francisco Gracia, the owner of a house on Calle Ofelia Nieto, 29, that the city of Madrid wants to expropriate and demolish, talks to her niece in the telephone. Madrid, August 16, 2013.

Antonia looks at the judicial commission sitting on the couch while they tell her that she, her daughter and her son, will be evicted at that moment from their home in Getafe. Antonia, a 70 year old who suffers from heart problems, stopped paying rent to the city of Madrid housing authority in 1994. She is now being evicted.

Carmen Carmona distraught in her living room moments before being evicted. Amador Pilar Navarro, 65, lived with her daughter Carmen Carmona, 46, another son and three grandchildren for 15 years in a flat in Municipal Housing Corporation of Madrid (SLA). They stopped paying rent because they had no money. When they wanted to make up back payments to the SLA, they were not allowed and the eviction was processed. The debt amounted to 3600 Euros. They were evicted on November 29, 2013.

Riot police detain some young people in Madrid after a demonstration against government corruption. February 23, 2013.

A woman walks with her shopping. Torrelavega, Cantabria, July 22, 2013.

Demonstration of 15M in the Plaza del Sol. May 18, 2011, three days alter the sit-in started which gave the movement its name.

Lourdes Ruiz Rubio cries after they manage to stall the eviction. December 2, 2013. Lourdes Ruiz Rubio, 19 years old, lives with husband David, 31 years old. They have a son, Aitor, 1 year old, and David, 2 years old, from previous marriage. Lourdes is currently 8 months pregnant. Their apartment, Avenida de la Democracia 10, Portal 2, is rented with option to buy. The contract was in the name of another woman who had previously lived there. That woman could not pay the rent and accumulated a debt of 1500 euros. When she tried to hand in the keys to the realtor Martinesa Fadesa, the realtor refused to accept the keys without payment. So, the woman then gave the keys to Lourdes Ruiz Rubio who needed a place to live. Lourdes and David squatted the place September 2013. Both Lourdes and David are unemployed. David, who previously worked as a truck driver, has not had a job for two years. Lourdes receives 426 Euros a month from the state, as a victim of abuse – her former partner abused her and she has

A friend of Abdul Ali and Aquter Hoffain along with most of their belongings, in the doorway of the apartment where they lived moments after eviction. Abdul Ali and Aquter Hoffain, brothers from Bangladesh, carry their belongings with the help of several friends to the home of a relative. Abdul Ali and Aqter Hoffain lived with their wives and seven children between the two marriages in an apartment on Calle Zurita. After 7 years living in Madrid, they were evicted on February 2, 2012.

Carmen Cortés, 20, with her one-month-old baby, wait as they are kicked out of an apartment belonging to Housing Institute in Madrid on May 24, 2013. Carmen squatted the apartment with her two children, one two years and one month, because she had nowhere else to live. She occupied the apartment in 2011 and has since lived there. On May 24, dozens of people called in by the Movement of Mortgage Victims (PAH in its Spanish acronym) and Housing Assembly of Lavapies managed to halt the eviction. But on February 6, 2014, without notice several police vans surrounded the building and evicted her.

A line of people going into the Ave Maria soup kitchen on Calle Doctor Cortezo in Madrid. Run by the Royal Congregation of the Slaves of the Sweet Name of Maria Foundation, dozens of people come toe at each day.

Dozens of people make a human chain around Bankia (then Caja Madrid) in the Plaza Celenque in Madrid. October 25, 2012.

Dozens of people protest the eviction of Antonio Suarez on Calle Tribulete in Madrid. Antonio Suarez Argonia is 54 years old and suffers from different diseases: HIV, cancer, leukemia, anemia, etc.. He rented his apartment at #25 Tribulete 4 years ago in 2010, paying 480 Euros a month. The aprtment is owned by a couple living in Alicante, Lucila and Eugene, and is rented through the NGO, Inmobiliaria Provivienda. A year ago, in 2013, he stopped paying the rent. He receives 740 Euros a month for disability, and stopped paying rent because it was not enough to pay that and buy medicine.

Lourdes Ruiz Rubio pushes the fridge out of the house. December 2, 2013. Lourdes Ruiz Rubio, 19 years old, lives with husband David, 31 years old. They have a son, Aitor, 1 year old, and David, 2 years old, from previous marriage. Lourdes is currently 8 months pregnant. Their apartment, Avenida de la Democracia 10, Portal 2, is rented with option to buy. The contract was held by another woman who had previously lived there. That woman could not pay the rent and accumulated a debt of 1500 euros. When she tried to hand in the keys to the place, the realtor Martinesa Fadesa refused to accept without payment. S o, the woman then gave him the keys to Lourdes Ruiz Rubio who needed a place to live. Lourdes and David squatted the place September 2013. Both Lourdes and David are unemployed. David who previously worked as a truck driver, has not had a job for two years. She receives state aid of 426 Euros a month as a victim of abuse – her former partner abused her and she has a restraining order out on him.

Monica Ramos and her husband Javier Narváez, Ecuadorian immigrants, read the eviction notice in their living room while awaiting the arrival of the judicial commission. Canillejas, Madrid. February 22, 2012.

One of Antonia’s sons hides behind the curtain as he looks through the window, waiting for the order of eviction to arrive. Antonia, a 70 year old woman with heart problems, stopped paying rent on her apartment managed by the Community of Madrid in 1994. The Institute Madrid Housing is ordering their eviction.

Riot police detain a girl in Madrid after a demonstration against political corruption. February 23, 2013.

Luis Mendez in a room of his apartment in Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, awaiting eviction on January 10, 2012. Luis Mendez, 45, bought the apartment fin 2002 or 109.502 Euros, with a mortgage at Bankia (formerly Caja Madrid). He had a steady job in construction, but in 2009 the company ran out of work and did not renew his contract. His mortgage payments were 500 Euros per month, but with the rise in Euribor it went up to 700 Euros. He stopped making his mortgage payments when his unemployment benefits of 800 a month, ran out. The first attempt to evict him was on November 24, 2011. The second attempt on January 10, 2012. And the third and final attempt which was successful was March 15, 2012.

Housing in the working class neighborhood of San Cristobal de los Ángeles in Madrid where there is a elevated number of evictions.

A young man and woman who participated in the demonstration organized by the 15M movement on May 15, 2012. They embrace surrounded by riot police as one of them checks their documentation.