Spain's economic crisis turns middle-class families into illegal squatters

[Huey P. Long]

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Source: msnbc


Tony Cortes, who has been out of work for almost three years, and his partner Ana Valderrama have occupied an empty home in Terrassa, Spain, with their young daughters Jennifer and Ariadna.



Spain's economic crisis turns middle-class families into illegal squatters
5
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By F. Brinley Bruton, msnbc.com
TERRASSA, Spain -- Ana Valderrama and Tony Cortes do not look like squatters.

The suburban apartment they've illegally occupied since December is free of clutter. Its stone floors shine while two poster-sized pictures of daughters Jennifer, seven, and Ariadna, 11, hang on gleaming white walls.

Twelve months ago, life was very different.


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Valderrama, 36, and Cortes, 38, had both been out of work for more than two years. Unable to maintain payments on their 102,000-euro (around $128,000 at today’s exchange rates) mortgage, the couple lost their home in this commuter town about 12 miles north of Barcelona.

"I was very depressed when I realized I may be on the street with my two girls," Cortes told msnbc.com. "It’s a depression the whole family feels, a sort of Chinese torture."

Desperate to ensure they had a roof over their head, Valderrama, Cortes and 10 other families took possession of an empty apartment building. But life is still precarious. The family of four now lives on 641 euros ($800) a month in public assistance and they could face eviction at any time.

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Read more: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/26/12370209-spains-economic-crisis-turns-middle-class-families-into-illegal-squatters?lite

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The future in USA. Occupy.

[clang1]

1. Tough times because in Spain you can get

kicked out of your home, and you still owe the bank. The bill doesn't go away.

[malthaussen]

4. OTOH, if they pulled this in the USA

The baby-blue helmets would be by the next day to club them into submission, throw their stuff into the street, and toss their kids into juvenile detention. On the whole, I'd rather owe money to a bank...

-- Mal

[dynasaw]

2. Probably Happening Here

in the U.S. even as we speak.

[clang1]

3. Yes, it has n/t

[OKNancy]

5. I'm sorry, but this is not breaking news

This is a feature article. Feature articles can be relevant days longer than breaking news. That's one way of telling the difference.
Suggest you post in Good reads, or GD.