Yzabelle Bostyn
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 letter was sent by the Balearic National and International Real Estate Association (ABINI) and Real Estate Agents Association (API).
“If urgent measures are not taken, our society will be condemned to expelling its own citizens due to the inability to find a home,” they warned.
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 continue to be used as a political battleground. While the different parties accuse each other of inaction, families see their chance of having a home in their own land slipping away,” they continued.
“We speak on behalf of our sector, but this sentiment is shared throughout Balearic society. It is a concern that affects workers, business owners, young people, families and the elderly, because the right to decent housing has become an unattainable luxury for many.”
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 defend what is ours and our loved ones, but the islands are also welcoming, having been chosen by many people as a wonderful place to live.
“However, while so many arrive with the hope of settling here, many Mallorcan families suffer the reality of inaccessible housing. We cannot continue to wait while the situation worsens.”
