Shantytown settlements soar by 24 per cent in five years in Valencia

María Jose Catala who is the spokesperson of the Popular Party in Valencia said: “In 2017 there were 1,013 people living in subhuman conditions and now the figure has shot up and increased to 1,253, which is 240 more.”

She added: “In the City of Valencia there are almost thirty homeless settlements with 26 of them extending to 17 neighbourhoods,” El Debate confirmed on Thursday, July 21.

María Jose Catala also accused the municipal government of “looking the other way.” She said: “Joan Ribo [Mayor of Valencia] has been incapable of building social housing or municipal shelters for the homeless.”

Catala took advantage of the increase in shantytowns to criticise the fact that in the city of Valencia the poverty rate “has also shot up since Joan Ribo has been in office.”

“When the Mayor entered office the poverty rate was at 16.1 per cent and it is now at 21 per cent which is five points higher,” Catala pointed out.

“This figure means that almost one in four Valencians is at risk of poverty.”

Catala then took the opportuning to remind the Mayor of Valencia of the 2015 slogan he ran in the local elections “Let’s Rescue People.”

She concluded: “Those who came to rescue people in seven years of government have done quite the opposite”

“Those they have rescued are their friends, increasing spending on senior officials in the City Council, and placing people linked to the two parties in government, Compromís and PSOE.”