Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
LOCALS are warning they could be ‘expelled’ from Spanish holiday islands if mass tourism continues to exacerbate the housing crisis.
Balearic Island real estate associations have issued an urgent letter to Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez warning they will be ‘condemned to expel their own people’ due to housing difficulties.
The Balearic Real Estate Association and the Real Estate Agents Association sent a letter to all members of the Balearic Real Estate Association and International Real Estate Association.
They warned that if urgent measures were not taken, “our society would be condemned to expel its own citizens because of the inability to locate a home.”
They further insisted housing be considered as a ‘right’, not a ‘speculative asset’, encouraging ‘responsible investment’ while protecting the housing supply.
Sanchez is set to visit the islands this weekend, an event hoped to ‘mark a turning point’ for the area and ‘prioritise the well-being of locals.’
“Housing cannot be used as a battleground for politics.” “While the parties accuse one another of inaction, many families are losing their chances of owning a home on their own land,” they added.
We speak for our sector but the sentiment is shared by all Balearics. This is a problem that affects all sectors of society, including workers, entrepreneurs, young people, families, and the elderly.
They suggest the housing crisis has ‘spiralled completely out of control’, with politicians using the issue as a ‘weapon’.
In the face of this challenge, the associations claimed they were ready to ‘fight’.
They said: “We protect what we own and our loved ones. But the islands are welcoming as well, because they have been selected by many people to be a wonderful place for living.
“However, despite the fact that so many families arrive in Mallorca with the hopes of settling down, they are faced with the reality of housing that is not accessible. We can’t wait for the situation to worsen.
