The planned closure of the Tàber nursing home in Barcelona’s Eixample district, scheduled for February 28, 2025, has caused deep distress among the families of the 24 elderly residents affected. The building’s purchase by the French investment fund Activalia Invest—who intends to convert it into luxury apartments—will force the eviction of these elderly individuals, many of whom occupy publicly funded places through agreements with the Government of Catalonia. However, this is not an isolated case: real estate speculation is threatening five elderly care homes in the district, accounting for a total of 111 places, most of which are public or semi-public.

Families have denounced the lack of transparency and the minimal time frame available to find alternatives. Beyond the change in surroundings, relocation entails the breaking of essential emotional and physical bonds for elderly people. The Coordinadora de Familiares de Residencias 5+1 (Family Coordinating Committee of Elder Care Homes) expressed its outrage: “You can’t just move elderly people around as if they were furniture.”

This phenomenon reflects an alarming trend: since 2016, over 4,000 invisible evictions have taken place in the Eixample, displacing more than 10,000 residents due to unaffordable rent hikes or the sale of entire buildings to investors. Neighborhood associations warn that the conversion of care homes into luxury housing violates the rights of elderly people and disrupts the social fabric of the neighborhood.

Remember: if you need to throw an elderly person out onto the street, check which day corresponds to your street on the Cuidem Barcelona website, or call the free civility hotline at 900 226 226.

If you need to sell a building that contains a care home, contact ACTIVALIA INVEST SL at Via Augusta, 29. Their phone number is +34 935 951 420. Ask for Chloé Laurence, Anne Durieux, or Josef Kastner.

In any case, feel free to call them just to say hello. You don’t need to own a care home to get in touch.

#OlderPeopleAreNotMerchandise