CSN News reports that thousands of Spaniards are rallying for the right to own a home.

Malaga has seen a protest of up to 30,000 against Spain’s housing crises.

Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands people across the country demanded urgent changes to the property laws.

Demonstrators in 40 cities, including Sevilla, Valencia and Palma, united under the slogan ‘Let’s End the Housing Business’.

The group called for immediate action against rising rents, the lack of affordable housing and the prioritisation local needs over tourism policies.

The protests are a result of the fact that average rents have doubled since 2000 in Spain, and property prices have increased by 44%. These increases have far exceeded wage growth.

The central bank of Spain released a report that revealed nearly 40% families spend more than 40% on housing.

Meanwhile, public housing accounts for less than 2% of Spain’s total housing stock – well below the OECD average of 7%. 

Activists demanded measures like forced rent reductions, and increased construction of social housing.

Manuel Gomez, Olive Press, said: “In the center of Malaga, there are no more locals.” “Only tourists, and businesses that are focused on them.”

The engineer, who moved there 10 years ago, added: “My first rental price was €200 for a room. Now the normal price is around €500-600, while my partner and I pay €850 between us.

“Salaries have not kept pace with the increase of around 45% in cost of living over the last five-year period.”

The majority of local families are now forced to move out to the countryside or to villages in the interior.

A spokesperson for the organizers, Malaga Para Vivir Kiki Spain, stated: “There is 34,466 registered people seeking property in Malaga. However, there are 7,496 apartments with 32132 beds available. 

How can this be sustained? 

The march started in Plaza de la Merced – Picasso’s birthplace, where 80% of properties are tourist rentals – and ended at Parque de Huelin.

The protesters were heard for miles with their whistles and Brazilian Batucada drums.

The housing cost increase is particularly harmful to young people. 

Mari Sanchez (26), a lawyer sharing an apartment with three other people, explained that she allocates 30 or 40 percent of her salary for rent. 

“That does not allow me to save.” It doesn’t even allow me to buy a car. “I can’t buy a car.” 

Elena Perez, 22, a student in Malaga who works part-time and studies, told The Olive Press, “All my friends are in a similar position.”

The crisis isn’t limited to Malaga. In Madrid, more than 150,000 protesters marched through the city’s streets rattling keys and chanting slogans like ‘Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods’. Margarita Aizpuru (65), a resident of Madrid’s Lavapies district, told how her rental contract would not be renewed for nearly 100 families. “They are kicking us all out to make tourist apartments.”

The demonstrations also highlighted cases of imminent homelessness caused by real estate speculation. 

In Torremolinos, Yolanda Greta and Jimena Centurion are among 120 residents facing eviction after their building was auctioned off by Sareb – a bank part-owned by the state – due to unpaid loans. 

*Some names have been changed to protect the identities of those speaking.

READ MORE ‘My first room was €200, now it’s €500′: Protests erupt around Spain calling for radical change and a return to affordable housing

‘Housing can never be a commodity, it must be a right we protect:’ Hundreds of thousands march across Spain