November 11: We're striking for housing

On November 11, there will be a general strike for housing. We at Mescladís are joining in. Here’s why.

In our kitchens, every day we chop, knead, and learn. It is there that women from far away are trained and work, and they are already shaping the city: they open shutters, serve tables, and sustain the neighborhood. We cook up opportunities. But no opportunity can last without a roof over one’s head.

That is why, on November 11, Mescladís is joining the general strike for housing.

First, for everything we face as neighbors

Housing should be a right, but today it is a business. We stand in solidarity with the demands of the call to action:

And once you've moved, finding a place to live is like an obstacle course

This problem affects all of us. But for some, the road ahead is even more challenging.

First, find an apartment. They turn you down because of your background. Or they ask for more paperwork, more guarantees, a permanent contract…

Next, register with the local government. Some city governments make it difficult if you don't have a lease. In Barcelona, more than 800 rental listings refused to allow residents to register.

And without a registration number, the door is closed to rights: to health care and social services.

Each obstacle leads to the next. What begins with a closed door ends in a life lived only halfway.

Defending housing means defending the city we are.

If you can't stop, you're in it too

Going on strike is a right, not an obligation. If you can't stop working on November 11, there are other ways to join the effort:

• Join the strike committee in your neighborhood.
• Share this article.
• Support female neighbors who face discrimination.

All the information is available at vagaperlhabitatge.cat

We cook together. We fight together. We are all part of “
” Barcelona.

Sources: Barcelona City Council (2021), PAH Barcelona (2024), Doctors of the World (2026), 3Cat; report by PAH Barcelona and other organizations (2024).