Single Mother in Andorra Faces Eviction Despite Public Housing Approval

A single mother in Andorra faces eviction from her rental apartment tomorrow, despite receiving approval for public housing from the Institut Nacional de l'Habitatge (INH) in October, with authorities offering only a temporary hotel room as an alternative.

The woman, who has lived in the country for 22 years and has two Andorran children, has rented a three-bedroom, two-bathroom flat since 2020 for €550 per month. In August, she learned the property had been sold to a new owner—a woman—intending to move in after the lease expires on 31 December 2025. She promptly applied for affordable public rental housing, contacted the ministries of Social Affairs and Housing, and received INH confirmation of her eligibility. However, no unit has been assigned, leaving her without options for the new year.

The Social Affairs ministry has proposed a room at the Arca de la Creu Roja Red Cross facility for €720 plus €177 for half-board, which she described as inadequate and emotionally harmful for her underage daughter. Officials reportedly told her allocations follow a points system with no flexibility. As a result, she faces separating from her daughter, who will live with the father to avoid the hotel conditions.

The Coordinadora per un Habitatge Digne highlighted the case on social media, sharing her audio testimony that this is "the only way they can make me leave a rental apartment." The group calls it evidence of systemic failures, including high rents, insufficient affordable stock, and slow processes that fail urgent cases. "When a person activates all available resources and still ends up without housing, the issue is not individual but a system that fails to respond in time," it stated.

The organisation demands no evictions without guaranteed affordable alternatives and urges others in similar situations to come forward for greater visibility. It vows to push for real protections, especially for vulnerable single-parent families caught between rigid contracts and limited public supply.