Kathmandu— Hundreds of people, including approximately 100 children, are camping on a Rome street under extreme heat as a legal dispute over a squatted office block leaves them without shelter. The residents were forced from the seven-storey Spin Time building following a small fire in a vacant room, which led magistrates to place the property under judicial seizure and declare it unfit for habitation. As temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius, the displaced community has established a makeshift camp on the pavement, relying on volunteers for food, water, and basic necessities.

Displacement and Extreme Heat

The sudden evacuation has left residents struggling to survive a punishing heatwave. On the ninth night of the sit-in, Ana Bizdoaca, who has lived in the building since 2013, described the emotional toll of the situation, stating, "Our hearts have been torn to pieces."

Conditions in the makeshift camp have been dire. On August 6, a two-year-old girl fainted while being held by a Red Cross nurse. Maria Cabrera, an organizer of the camp who has lived in the building for nearly 11 years, noted the hardship faced by the most vulnerable, saying, "Seeing the children on the ground, on flattened cardboard from the bins, it was awful."

A Community and Its History

The Spin Time building has served as a vital cultural hub and home to 140 families from more than 20 different nationalities. Beyond providing housing, the space hosted a free co-working area, a youth-led newspaper, and various concerts and plays.

For many, the building represented more than just shelter. Maria Cabrera, who moved to the building after losing her job, described the diverse community as having become a family. She noted that the building provided access to cultural events, such as classical music shows, that she otherwise could not have afforded.

Political and Legal Deadlock

Efforts to resolve the crisis have reached a stalemate between city officials and the building's owners. Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, announced that an offer by the city to purchase the building from the fund InvestiRE SGR was rejected. Gualtieri expressed frustration with the outcome, noting that the Church had attempted to persuade the owners to accept the deal.

InvestiRE SGR has maintained that the building does not meet safety standards after 13 years of occupation, which they claim legally prevents any interim arrangement to house residents while a sale is negotiated. The fund has long intended to develop a luxury hotel on the site, a plan that has been a point of contention for years.

Political Pressure and Activism

The eviction has become a flashpoint for political tension. The governing right-wing Brothers of Italy party has pressured the mayor against the purchase, arguing that using public funds to settle squatters would reward illegality.

Residents have accused political forces of exploiting the emergency to achieve a long-held goal of clearing the site. "Someone took advantage of an emergency, of the vulnerability of families and children, to push them out of their homes," resident Aurora Jacob said, adding that the residents feel treated like "second-class citizen."

Mayor Gualtieri stated that the city aims to place qualifying households in dignified accommodation within 60 days, while activists vow to continue their sit-in to pressure the government.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.