This is a photo report about one of Spain’s silent dramas. Until recently, the welfare system of this European country was held up as an example for Italy and France. Now, there are more than 166,000 families that have been left without homes as they have not been able to pay their mortgages. This report documents the moment in which these families are evicted, the fight of the Platform for those Affected by a Mortgage (PAH – “Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca”), community co-operation and the empowerment of individuals thanks to the PAH.
Until recently, Spain, in its own way, was emulating the American dream of the happy family. Banks and the government created a climate in which it was impossible not to want to have your own property. Many were caught in this spider’s web. Those who are being evicted are from an impoverished middle class.