Residents of the Papallona block in Sant Andreu are demanding that the City Council of Barcelona apply the same formula used on Llenguadoc street. If no agreement is reached, they announce they will stop paying rent.
The residents of the Papallona block in the Sant Andreu neighbourhood have announced a rent strike and are demanding that the City Council of Barcelona act as it did with the building on Llenguadoc street. According to the tenants themselves, if the council does not respond, non-payments will begin shortly.
The case of Llenguadoc is the precedent they are now invoking. On October 7, the City Council of Barcelona agreed with the Generalitat to purchase a building that was about to be evicted to prevent the loss of housing in the context of a rental crisis.
The Papallona block takes its name from the modernist mural of a butterfly that decorates its façade. The property belongs to the developer New Amsterdam Developers (NAD), which purchased it in 2024. Today, only 6 tenants remain in the building.
The residents claim that the company, which they describe as a vulture fund, does not want to renew the rental contracts. They believe its aim is to empty the building to convert it into a tourist hotel or co-living spaces.
The City Council asserts that NAD does not want to negotiate. Nevertheless, the residents' union is calling for continued pressure and to utilise the resources that, in their view, the council has.
The dilemma for the municipal government of Jaume Collboni is twofold. If they agree, it could set a precedent that other residents in the city might also demand. If they reject the request, the decision would come during the pre-campaign for the general elections and with the municipal elections on the horizon.
The movement surrounding the Papallona block is gaining visibility and media attention among housing collectives in Barcelona. The next step will be marked by the announced non-payments from the tenants and the response from the City Council.
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