Sojorn: Father Jaume Alemany's refuge of hope in the face of the housing crisis in the Balearics
Sojorn: a refuge from the housing emergency in Palma
Published in COPE Mallorca on April 30, 2025
76% of Balearic residents feel uncertain about their ability to access housing in the future, with young people aged 18 to 24 and large families being the groups most concerned, according to the 2nd Housing Barometer by Grupo Mutua Propietarios. This has become the main concern for citizens in the Balearic Islands.
COPE Baleares has conducted a special report to analyze the situation.
Reception project: Sojorn
We visited Sojorn, a reception project initiated by priest Jaume Alemany at the Virgen de Montserrat Parish in Palma, which opened its doors to the housing emergency.
This shelter was opened in 2021. Previously, the rooms were used for catechism classes, but after the pandemic, Jaume Alemany decided to act in the face of the housing crisis already emerging at the time.
Currently, 40 people live there, and there is a waiting list. "The list isn't strict; the first on the list doesn't necessarily get in. We assess need and urgency. Of course, families with children are a priority. We've seen cases of families sleeping in cars and then taking their kids to school — that can't happen. Alone, you manage, but with children, it's different. There are very few resources for families with kids," the priest explains on COPE.
Most residents are families, many with children, but there are other profiles too. "Mostly couples with children, quite a few South Americans who arrived with job offers that turned out to be fake, and also Mallorcans who have been evicted or separated from their partners and can’t afford a place on their own. We also have a family from Algeria."
Sojorn has communal areas like the kitchen and living room, where people spend a lot of time together. "It's beautiful to see how cultural and background diversity enriches coexistence instead of being a problem. We experience it every day. On Fridays, we have a community dinner and share traditional dishes from each country — it's wonderful."
Temporary shelter that often lasts longer
Sojorn means shelter, a place to take refuge for the necessary time. The idea is that newcomers, referred by social services, stay no more than 6 months, though the priest admits that’s often not enough. Still, he insists the goal is to avoid people becoming long-term residents. "They team up to rent a flat, and that's how they move on."
There we met Nico, an Argentinian who has lived in Spain for 10 years. He arrived in Mallorca in October after living in Formentera. At first, he lived with his nephews and brother, who have since moved to Santander due to the housing difficulties. Nico is about to start working and expects to leave Sojorn soon. "You shouldn't get used to it. Once I have a stable job starting in May, I can move on to a room or flat, which is what I want the most."
Meanwhile, he’s grateful for the support from Sojorn, where he says living together is extraordinary: "It’s really valuable to share experiences with people going through the same situation."
Santiago, a young Colombian, also lives there with his partner and their 9-month-old baby. He once lived on the streets in Valencia, where he met the mother of his child. They later returned to the island, where he first arrived three years ago. Before reaching Mallorca, they spent 8 days in an airport. "We lived in a place without water or electricity. A relative helped with flight tickets, but we had to leave the place, and the flight was eight days away — we had nowhere to go, so we went to the airport," Santiago recounts.
He acknowledges the hardships but says he has no plans to leave the island.
Karen is 19, from Bolivia, and arrived in Mallorca a year ago. She lives in Sojorn with her mother and two brothers aged 13 and 15. Her mother works, but it’s not enough to afford housing: "She works in hospitality, but her salary isn't enough to cover €1,200 rent, plus electricity and food."
Karen finished high school but had trouble validating her diploma. Still, she's determined: "This year I’m going to study Pathological Anatomy, a higher vocational degree."
Sojorn hosts many people referred by Palma’s City Council and IMAS social services, but it receives no financial support.
Source: COPE Mallorca