Briefing
In Gijón/Nuevo Roces Pressure is mounting on the state housing agency Viviendas del Principado de Asturias (Vipasa) to suspend the planned eviction of a woman recognised as a victim of gender-based violence and her nine-year-old daughter. Several organisations—including the Sindicato de Inquilinas e Inquilinos de Asturias, Amnesty International, the teachers’ union SUATEA and the local Sindicato de Vivienda—went to Vipasa’s offices in Oviedo/Uviéu on 25 September 2026 to demand a moratorium and draw attention to the family’s vulnerability.
The organisations cite a court’s reference to the tenant’s particular vulnerability and are calling for this legally recognised vulnerability to be taken into account in enforcing the eviction. According to the supporter, the family is deeply rooted in the area: the schoolgirl is enrolled at a local school, and teachers have documented the potential harm of a sudden relocation. According to the activists, rent arrears accrued after support payments were temporarily withdrawn and before benefits such as the ingreso mínimo vital resumed.
Vipasa, by contrast, justifies its actions by citing long-standing, voluntary arrears dating back to 2021. The managing director Marta Pulgar explains that the company spent years trying mediation measures, social interventions and several payment offers to settle the arrears; in April 2026, a court terminated the contract for non-payment (impago) and ordered the return of the flat. Vipasa also stresses that enforcement is subject to a court ruling and that formal requirements must be met.
There is a discrepancy in the dates reported: some media give 28 September 2026 as the enforcement date, others 29 September 2026. Whether enforcement can be halted at short notice now depends on further court action and fresh assessments by social services. The dispute has prompted a broader debate in Gijón about evictions from social housing and the application of special safeguards for vulnerable households.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).