Spanish judge halts eviction of vulnerable mother and six children

A judge in Badalona, Spain, halted an eviction order against Kalita Fernández, a mother of six children, by applying a new government housing decree.

The court decision stops the investment fund Divarian from removing the family from their home. The family has lived in the property for nearly a decade. The investment fund Divarian, a subsidiary of the Cerberus group, owns the building.

While the group sold some properties to the Generalitat for social housing, the specific apartment occupied by Fernández was not included in that program. Fernández previously lived on the Mesa de Emergencia de Badalona but lost her status after a divorce a year ago. The judge cited three reasons for the suspension: the status of Divarian as a large property owner, the existence of a separate civil eviction process, and the severe vulnerability of the family.

The court noted that the family lacks an alternative home. This is particularly critical because one of the children is an infant who requires a medical machine at night to treat respiratory issues. The legal representative for Fernández, Ton Mansilla, noted that the new housing decree provides protections for vulnerable people. The judge ruled that proceeding with the eviction would violate the principle of proportionality and ignore the material guarantees the law offers to families in need.

The family still awaits an emergency social housing unit from the Badalona City Council.