Residents of the former prison, addressing the mayor of Palma: “Will you leave 200 people homeless to build a roundabout?”

PalmThe situation of the approximately 200 residents of Palma's former prison was the main topic of discussion at Thursday's Palma City Council meeting. Several people living in the abandoned complex spoke, supported by the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH), to demand a solution before the eviction announced by the City Council takes place. PAH representative Àngela Pons summed up the problem in one sentence: "Will they leave 200 people homeless to build a roundabout?"

Silvino, one of the residents, put it this way: "Do I have to live under a bridge? I'm sick." He said that if he's evicted, he'll be left on the street. "What do I do now? How will I live?" he added, blaming the politicians for the situation. Luisa, also a resident of the complex, explained that she is "in the hands of the doctors" and that she has been registered with the Ibavi (Balearic Housing Institute) for eight years without finding an apartment. "We're not here by choice," she emphasized, while asking the mayor to "have a heart." She demanded decent and affordable housing in a city where rental prices, she said, are "exorbitant." Aurora, for her part, recounted that she has recently been looking for a room and has only found one for 1,200 euros a month, with the possibility of cooking only two days a week. "I'm in prison and I shower every day; let's see what they'll do with us now," she lamented.

The PAH representative criticized the municipal government, arguing that the eviction, without a clear alternative, could end up encouraging new occupations. "We're talking about human beings," she insisted, also criticizing the fact that hundreds of people have been left on the street without any "healthcare and housing" support. She also questioned the creation of an anti-employment office: "We're paying your salaries not because it has to be done, but because it's not necessary."

Emergency protocol

The First Deputy Mayor and City Councillor of Palma, Javier Bonet, explained that they have been desperately seeking housing solutions for three days after four fires, possibly arson, broke out on the prison grounds in a single weekend. Given this situation, he announced that an emergency protocol will be activated at the next City Council meeting. Bonet spoke of offering rooms, living quarters, or other housing options and addressing the situation as a social emergency, a matter that will be discussed urgently at the City Hall tomorrow. However, this housing solution is contingent upon the residents voluntarily vacating the prison, following the administrative procedures established by the City Council. He also detailed that a special cleaning operation is being prepared, which could cost around €90,000. This project will be processed as a major contract and, therefore, must adhere to all administrative deadlines.

"Risk dying in a fire"

One of the most intense moments of the day occurred when the Councillor for Social Services, Lourdes Costa y Bonet, spoke with Pons and the residents of the former prison in the corridors around the plenary hall.

Bonet warned residents that they "risk dying in a fire." He also assured them that through "institutions and anonymous individuals," and "starting tomorrow, we will have a portfolio of services that will even include housing solutions." During this exchange, opposition councilors Lucía Muñoz, Neus Truyol, and Angélica Pastor intervened to contradict Costa and Bonet, accusing them of lying and "selling smoke." Later, Socialist councilor Xisco Ducros denounced the "chaos" of the municipal government and cited the management of the old prison as an example of improvisation. He criticized the creation of "false expectations" among residents by speaking of "rooms and living quarters" without any concrete details.

For her part, Neus Truyol accused the municipal government of only acting when the situation gained media attention, after two and a half years in office during which, she stated, "nothing has been done to address" the underlying problem.

Lucía Muñoz, from Podemos, believes that what transpired in the plenary session is a sign of the "explosion of the housing crisis." In response to the request for an alternative to living in prison, the City Council's answer was that "there is a lack of willingness, that what the people in the former prison should want is access to these housing solutions," and, she said, this "is a lie, because they know perfectly well that all the residential alternatives the City Council can offer are full."

"Violating fundamental rights"

During his speech in the plenary session, Pons accused the Palma City Council of violating fundamental rights with the intention of evict the people who live in the old Palma prison without offering them an alternative residenceThe organization has criticized Mayor Jaime Martínez's remarks regarding the eviction from the property, stating that it is "unacceptable" that, in the context of a housing crisis, families in extremely vulnerable situations who occupy this abandoned public building on the Sóller road are being evicted. Pons reiterated that access to decent housing is a basic right that must be guaranteed by the local administration, especially for people experiencing social exclusion. PAH Mallorca also warned that the lack of alternative housing not only exacerbates the social emergency faced by those affected but also places them in a more precarious and defenseless situation. According to the organization, the City Council's actions at the former Palma prison fail to fulfill its obligation to protect the human, constitutional, and regional rights of the nearly 200 people occupying the municipally owned building. Therefore, he has demanded a halt to the eviction and has asked the City Council to implement measures, using its own resources or in collaboration with social organizations, that will allow for the full integration of those affected.