A community center at the heart of Barcelona's housing crisis

<p>The Gimnàs Social Sant Pau cooperative, located in the Catalan capital's gentrification and eviction-ridden Raval neighborhood, is a low-budget gym that for decades has also provided the city's most vulnerable with a place to eat and shower as well as a clean change of clothes.</p> <p>A fixture in the community, it has been close to closing on multiple occasions since 2016. The family that owns the property, Encesa Viñas, wants to demolish the cooperative in order to build luxury apartments.</p> / ACN

ACN

First published: May 14, 2021 12:27 PM