The tenants demand that “threats and coercion cease” by Azora to evict their homes because “they cannot pay” the 33% increase proposed by the fund. The rents paid by these residents of Ategorrieta are already around 750 and the 900 euros per month.
The Asociation Azora tenants together with Stop Evictions and Alokairu have requested this Thursday the cessation of “pressures” that, as they have denounced, moves the fund Azora Capital to six “vulnerable tenants” of Ategorrieta, who have assured that they will not hand over the keys to their houses and will continue to pay current rents.
The rental contracts of these affected people have recently expired and now, as they denounce, the fund asks them for 33% more for the rent, or pressures them by phone to sign a contract for six months, with the condition that they later leave the house .
The aforementioned associations have held a concentration in San Sebastián that has had the participation of representatives of Cáritas Altza-Larratxo, the unions LAB and CNT, EH Bildu, and Elkarrekin Podemos, as reported by the conveners in a statement.
In the protest, they recalled that last October 20 they met with the mayor of San Sebastian, Eneko Goia, to ask him to mediate with Azora Capital so that it offers the affected families contracts for seven years with the rise based on the CPI on the rents being paid.
The rents paid by these neighbors are between 750 and 900 euros per month, points out Stop Evictions, which ensures that they are above that recommended by the Rental Market Statistics (EMA) published by the Basque Government, while noting that many of the buildings in Ategorrieta are in an “unhealthy” situation and do not pass the ITE.
Neighbors say they will not evict or hand over the keys to the homes in which they reside and that they will continue to pay current rent until new affordable contracts are signed. They demand that “threats and coercion cease” to evict their homes because “they cannot pay the 33% increase” proposed by Azora and they ask for the renewal of the contracts for seven years with the rise in the CPI.
In February 2020, the Azora Capital group bought 300 rental apartments managed by Real Estate Vascongada, among which are the six homes in Ategorrieta whose tenants are in danger of eviction. The mayor of San Sebastián, Eneko Goia, affirmed then that the Azora investment fund had transferred to him its commitment to maintain the rental contracts in force in the city, of some 300 flats and premises, “in the conditions in which they are.”
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