Zubietxe

The Basque Government considers the ZUBIETXE association to be one of Public Service and Social Interest. It was founded in 1993 as a charity with the backing of the religious orders Compañía de María de Ollargan and Mercedarios de la Peña to tackle the problem of youth and substance abuse. Its first halfway house was opened as a "bridge" between prison and treatment programmes. This is the reason for its name, as Zubietxe in Basque means "bridge house".

Since the start, the association has worked in the field of vulnerability and social exclusion, evolving to adapt to a society with changing needs. This has therefore led to new activities, with both staff training and coordination being tailored to suit the new demands and profiles of social exclusion.

In 1998, the association began paying its staff, but its real growth began in 2000, when its team realigned the project according to the changes in its target users, changes in treatments, and the need to streamline its resources. The halfway house was closed and new projects were launched: the Hazkuntza Day Centre and the Berrisar Safe House.

A third project was launched in 2002 to facilitate access to housing for people experiencing social exclusion. It currently has a network of nine subsidised flats. A new one was opened in 2003 for migrants without any form of support network in the Basque Country, which was followed by another one in 2005.

ZUBIETXE employs a total of 20 women and 9 men.