Residents face power and water cutoff at Reykjavík caravan community

Residents of a caravan community at Sævarhöfði in Reykjavík have been told that electricity and water will be shut off on 1 November, mbl.is reports. A building providing access to a dishwasher and dryer will also be closed.

Geirdís Hanna Kristjánsdóttir, a resident and treasurer of the Association of Caravan Residents, said residents had not been offered an alternative or help finding somewhere else to stay during the winter.

“No one has spoken to us about offering another solution or anything like that,” Geirdís said. She said residents had repeatedly tried to discuss their situation with Reykjavík City, without success.

There are currently 12 caravans at Sævarhöfði. Residents remain dissatisfied with the city’s decision to terminate an agreement for a caravan community at Gufunes. Geirdís said they had made significant progress preparing the site, including obtaining quotes for earthworks and investigating the cost of connecting water and electricity to the lot boundaries.

According to Geirdís, the city was only expected to cover those costs. She said city lawyers later described the agreement as unclear, raising questions about how it had originally been drafted.

“Since we were moved here, morale has fallen completely,” Geirdís said. She added that contact between residents was much less frequent than it had been in Laugardalur and that uncertainty about their housing had caused widespread anxiety.

Residents are not optimistic about receiving answers before 1 November. Some are already considering moving elsewhere, but Geirdís said neighbouring municipalities had stopped offering winter rentals, while stays in Laugardalur were limited to 10 days at a time during the winter.