Simon Wade
POLICE, housing groups and neighbourhood associations will join forces in Callosa de Segura to tackle squatting in the Costa Blanca town.
Callosa mayor, Manuel Martínez Sirvent, said that the new group had been set up to look at the issue as well as ways of curbing overcrowded homes, especially flats.
The commission members will look at how to take action against squatters and what kind of legal ground rules should be established.
The Policia Local and Guardia Civil will be represented on the body along with the Red Cross, property administrators, real estate agents and neighbourhood associations.
Manuel Martínez Sirvent said: “We have to be sensitive over any complicated situations especially if children are involved.”
A Callosa church administration group said that there is a serious problem with squatting in the municipality, which also leads to complaints from residents living next to illegally-occupied properties.
A group spokesman emphasised that squatting is not their only concern:
“Rental flats are overcrowded and this is a problem that must be sorted out because of health and safety issues.”
Estimates suggest that squatting has dramatically increased by 58 per cent in Spain since 2015 and there are around 100,000 properties illegally occupied across the country.
