As Fuerteventura continues to attract investors, housing concerns loom large in the Canary Islands.
This past Saturday, one of the largest demonstrations in recent years advocating for housing rights took place in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Canary Islands. Organized by the Tenerife Tenants’ Union (SIT), the event drew over 3,000 participants who protested the ongoing housing crisis affecting the archipelago.
The demonstration was supported by more than fifty organizations, including unions, neighborhood associations, feminist, environmental, student, and cultural groups from across the region. The march commenced at 11:30 AM from the Javier Fernández Quesada Student Park, where chants such as “the government of the Canary Islands is a real estate company” and “It’s not a cool apartment; it’s a dump” echoed throughout the streets.
Participants described a familial and combative atmosphere, highlighting the inclusivity of the event. Many local residents, drawn by the sight of the march, joined in solidarity.
Following the procession, various manifestos were read aloud, featuring voices from the LGBT+ collective Abrir Brecha Canarias, the Association for the Defense of Public Pensions of the Canary Islands, and the SIT. The event concluded with lively musical performances from local artists.
The rally’s manifesto attributed the housing crisis to investment funds, banks, and large property owners, who, according to the organizers, purposefully inflate the market. Alarmingly, there are over 211,000 vacant homes in the Canary Islands, while rental prices have surged by 143% over the past thirteen years. Currently, the average monthly rent for a home exceeds 1,000 euros, with the cost of purchasing a house often equating to nearly fifteen years of full salary.
In La Laguna, the real estate market has reached new heights, with prices surpassing 1,700 euros per square meter in the first quarter of this year and an average of over 2,200 euros per square meter across the Canary Islands. Additionally, discrepancies in property availability have been reported, with real estate listings showing a significant number of homes designated for tourism compared to those available for residential rentals.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria stand out as cities with the highest concentration of multi-home owners, often seen as contributors to the “touristification” of neighborhoods, turning homes into financial assets rather than places of residence.
The manifesto also addressed a pressing political point: the source of the housing crisis is not migrants but the systemic failures within the housing market. Organizers emphasized the shared struggles of those affected by rising rents and economic hardships, calling for unity across the working class in response to what they referred to as a “reactionary rise” influencing political discourse.
As part of the demonstration, the SIT outlined a Housing Emergency Plan comprising thirteen immediate measures. Key proposals included the declaration of stressed areas with rent caps, indefinite rental contracts, a ban on speculative home purchases by investment funds, a halt to evictions without housing alternatives, and the repurposing of tourist accommodations for residential use.
The organizers directly challenged local political leaders, urging La Laguna’s mayor, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, to recognize the municipality as a stressed area and implement rent restrictions. They criticized Santa Cruz’s mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, for his efforts against home occupants and called upon the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, to enforce a previously approved Housing Law effectively.
Concluding the rally, the manifesto invoked a spirit of renewed activism: “We are not going to wait for our political representatives. Today a new cycle of neighborhood struggle begins where we take back our power to transform our community.”
The choice of La Laguna as the demonstration site was not incidental. The city represents a poignant example of local residents being displaced and stands as a symbol of a broader trend threatening the entire Canary Islands archipelago.
Image credit: www.eldiario.es
Source: www.eldiario.es.
Curated by Fuerteventura Times Real Estate Desk.
