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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2013/mar/11/spain-housing-crisis-readers-panel
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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Spain's housing crisis – readers' panel | Spain's housing crisis – readers' panel |
| (7 days later) | |
| The global financial crash in 2008 left huge numbers unemployed. After cuts to social welfare, a high eviction rate struck Spain. Some victims of the crisis have been fighting back by setting up home in a network of vacant buildings. | The global financial crash in 2008 left huge numbers unemployed. After cuts to social welfare, a high eviction rate struck Spain. Some victims of the crisis have been fighting back by setting up home in a network of vacant buildings. |
| Here Guardian readers living in Spain tell us their experiences of the crisis, and what they are doing to cope. | Here Guardian readers living in Spain tell us their experiences of the crisis, and what they are doing to cope. |
| Elizabeth Brindley – has lived in Spain for 35 years | Elizabeth Brindley – has lived in Spain for 35 years |
| It's impossible to talk about the housing crisis without delving into everything else that's going on. | It's impossible to talk about the housing crisis without delving into everything else that's going on. |
| My husband had to accept early retirement - at least he got out early, with a decent package. Others won't be so lucky. The savings bank he worked for became an ordinary bank and merged with several others. It needs rescuing and is laying off thousands of employees. | My husband had to accept early retirement - at least he got out early, with a decent package. Others won't be so lucky. The savings bank he worked for became an ordinary bank and merged with several others. It needs rescuing and is laying off thousands of employees. |
| There are very few jobs out there and the majority of those are poorly paid and not permanent. The lack of permanence of so many things is affecting people. Personally, the situation hasn't affected me too much yet but I do know people who have lost their jobs and are becoming quite desperate. I live in a small town and there's not much help here apart from small food banks or food collections in supermarkets. In Spain the family plays a very important role where possible. | There are very few jobs out there and the majority of those are poorly paid and not permanent. The lack of permanence of so many things is affecting people. Personally, the situation hasn't affected me too much yet but I do know people who have lost their jobs and are becoming quite desperate. I live in a small town and there's not much help here apart from small food banks or food collections in supermarkets. In Spain the family plays a very important role where possible. |
| The future is uncertain, so most people are tightening their belts, me included. A lot of young people are fleeing Spain as they feel they have no future here. My daughter (20) was studying in Madrid and won a scholarship to finish her studies in New York. She knows it will be very difficult to get a job here and she will probably need to widen her horizons. My son (22) finishes his catering course in June. He will get no financial help while he looks for work. That worries me as there is 50% unemployment among the under 25s. | The future is uncertain, so most people are tightening their belts, me included. A lot of young people are fleeing Spain as they feel they have no future here. My daughter (20) was studying in Madrid and won a scholarship to finish her studies in New York. She knows it will be very difficult to get a job here and she will probably need to widen her horizons. My son (22) finishes his catering course in June. He will get no financial help while he looks for work. That worries me as there is 50% unemployment among the under 25s. |
| I've lived in Galicia, north-west of Spain for more than 35 years and I've witnessed many changes over time. Sometimes, it's silent and manifests itself in the ever-increasing numbers of shops that have closed down; blocks of flats standing vacant that no one can afford to buy; and in empty shops with improved offers that fewer can afford to take up. In other parts of the country, the effects of the crisis are more visual and vocal - demonstrations against evictions or people taking over vacant property. | I've lived in Galicia, north-west of Spain for more than 35 years and I've witnessed many changes over time. Sometimes, it's silent and manifests itself in the ever-increasing numbers of shops that have closed down; blocks of flats standing vacant that no one can afford to buy; and in empty shops with improved offers that fewer can afford to take up. In other parts of the country, the effects of the crisis are more visual and vocal - demonstrations against evictions or people taking over vacant property. |
| How can all this not be so with such high unemployment figures and so little state help? Absolutely everything has a tremendous knock-on effect and there doesn't seem to be much light at the end of the tunnel. | How can all this not be so with such high unemployment figures and so little state help? Absolutely everything has a tremendous knock-on effect and there doesn't seem to be much light at the end of the tunnel. |
| @alefernandez – lives in a previously abandoned building | @alefernandez – lives in a previously abandoned building |
| I live in Roig21, a block of flats in Barcelona, that was in refurbishment when the housing boom went bust and was left semi-abandoned for about 5 years. | I live in Roig21, a block of flats in Barcelona, that was in refurbishment when the housing boom went bust and was left semi-abandoned for about 5 years. |
| At the beginning of 2012, the Catalan Integral Cooperative formed the Habitatge Social group and approached the landlord to offer a low rent for the whole block. I arrived as the first tenant of this block on the 15 May 2012, and now 14 people live here as a community. | At the beginning of 2012, the Catalan Integral Cooperative formed the Habitatge Social group and approached the landlord to offer a low rent for the whole block. I arrived as the first tenant of this block on the 15 May 2012, and now 14 people live here as a community. |
| We were taken to court and after proving we really lived there, the judge ruled in our favour and we can now stay for 5 years. The bank can't do very much as the problem is with the landlord, not with us, and Spanish law protects tenants in these cases. | We were taken to court and after proving we really lived there, the judge ruled in our favour and we can now stay for 5 years. The bank can't do very much as the problem is with the landlord, not with us, and Spanish law protects tenants in these cases. |
| A lot of people are going for this kind of arrangement - it's in-between squatting and a houseshare, with a dab of community - we cook together, share costs, grow food, and hold meetings, all 5 minutes from la Rambla. | A lot of people are going for this kind of arrangement - it's in-between squatting and a houseshare, with a dab of community - we cook together, share costs, grow food, and hold meetings, all 5 minutes from la Rambla. |
| It is not just the corrala movement, but many movements - perhaps united by the 15M in other areas – that are taking over abandoned buildings. | It is not just the corrala movement, but many movements - perhaps united by the 15M in other areas – that are taking over abandoned buildings. |
| Lately here in Barcelona there have been huge protests following the surprise announcement by the ruling PP party that they would support the ILP - a law that will allow those who have been evicted to cancel the mortgage by handing the property over to the bank. | Lately here in Barcelona there have been huge protests following the surprise announcement by the ruling PP party that they would support the ILP - a law that will allow those who have been evicted to cancel the mortgage by handing the property over to the bank. |
| Justin Sare – lives in Barcelona | Justin Sare – lives in Barcelona |
| Public sector employees like my wife have repeatedly had their pay reduced and this affects our family budget; we have two kids. Compared to a lot of people, we are very lucky, so far. | Public sector employees like my wife have repeatedly had their pay reduced and this affects our family budget; we have two kids. Compared to a lot of people, we are very lucky, so far. |
| If one of us were to lose our job, we would have a tough time covering the mortgage repayments and could possibly lose the house. Two million families now have no employed family member. The employment situation is the huge albatross around everyone's neck. | If one of us were to lose our job, we would have a tough time covering the mortgage repayments and could possibly lose the house. Two million families now have no employed family member. The employment situation is the huge albatross around everyone's neck. |
| If you are one month behind mortgage repayments, your house can be repossessed. If your house is repossessed, even if you have paid 50% or more of the entire mortgage, you have to repay the entire outstanding debt and the bank can resell your house and take all the profit. | If you are one month behind mortgage repayments, your house can be repossessed. If your house is repossessed, even if you have paid 50% or more of the entire mortgage, you have to repay the entire outstanding debt and the bank can resell your house and take all the profit. |
| My wife works for the National Stats Office, and she visits families to find out exactly what they spend their money on in a month. Huge amounts of grandparents are now housing or economically helping their middle aged children, and some of the people she has interviewed are in this situation. | My wife works for the National Stats Office, and she visits families to find out exactly what they spend their money on in a month. Huge amounts of grandparents are now housing or economically helping their middle aged children, and some of the people she has interviewed are in this situation. |
| I bought a flat in 1998 and sold it and re-bought two and a half years' ago. We had no difficulty finding a 30 year mortgage, even two years ago. Now it would be a different story. | I bought a flat in 1998 and sold it and re-bought two and a half years' ago. We had no difficulty finding a 30 year mortgage, even two years ago. Now it would be a different story. |
| When things will improve is anyone's guess. | When things will improve is anyone's guess. |
| What are your experiences of Spain's housing and employment crisis? Leave your comment below. | What are your experiences of Spain's housing and employment crisis? Leave your comment below. |
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