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AT least one thousand protestors are marching through the streets of Málaga today to demand safe, healthy and affordable housing.
The marchers join thousands in cities all over Spain, who are demanding housing is treated as a right of the human being and not as a business.
Rallied together by the local organisation Málaga Para Vivir, the protestors paraded under the slogan ‘Let’s put an end to the housing business.’
READ MORE ‘No more talking!’: Mass uprising in Spain as over 40 cities set to protest the housing crisis – while property prices break new record
They marched from Plaza de la Merced, their voices echoing loudly against the walls of Málaga’s centre, mixing with whistles, footsteps and the reverberating Brazillian batucada drums.
In the plaza, eight of every ten houses have been rented as short-term holiday accommodation.
There are 34 466 housing seekers in the city. However, there are 7 496 tourist accommodations with 32 132 available places. Is this sustainable? a Málaga Para Vivir spokesperson said.
One protestor, Manuel, has lived in Málaga for the last decade. He is an engineer here and has witnessed first-hand that rent increases are forcing many Malaga locals to leave the city and move into other towns.
“My first rental rate was 200 euros per room. “Now the normal price ranges between 500 and 600 euros,” said he.
“In just five years there has been a rise of about 45% in the cost of living, yet salaries don’t increase to match that.”
According to a report by the Spanish central bank, nearly 40% of renters spend over 40% of their income for their rental accommodation.
Manuel pays 850 euros to split a room with his partner in Málaga.
“Now, in the center of Málaga, you don’t see any local people. He said that only tourists and businesses geared towards tourists were present.
As they walked to their final destination, Parque de Huelin, the protestors passed through restaurants filled with tourists who were on vacation.
It’s the third housing crisis demonstration Málaga Para Vivir has organised in the city.
More than 10,000 people participated in the previous protests held last June and November, calling for action to address the housing crisis across the country.
Leading up to the protest, Málaga Para Vivir organised a series of community events to discuss solutions to the housing crisis.
Although they have not proposed specific solutions, the group wants to see the end of Málaga’s “city model,” which they believe has turned the city into a tourist amusement.
Málaga Para Vivir believe the current measures undertaken to alleviate the housing problem by different administrations (such as) is a ‘sticking plaster.’
It believes that the current housing models are based on tourist real estate which drives up rental and housing prices. The local population is then displaced by this.
Manuel said, “We must protest and urge the institutions to take action for us as the housing crisis gets worse by the day.”
“This is only the beginning, because we must fight for our rights.”
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