Thousands march across Spain demanding affordable housing amid soaring rents and dwindling supply.
Thousands of residents have taken to the streets across Spain to protest the ongoing housing crisis, demanding more affordable housing solutions.
Demonstrators argue they are increasingly priced out of the market due to factors such as tourism, speculative investments, and a growing rentier economy.
Over the past decade, average rents in Spain have doubled, and house prices have surged by 44%. At the same time, the availability of rental homes has halved since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
Spain faces a challenging balance between promoting tourism, a critical economic driver, and addressing local concerns about rising rents and gentrification. A growing number of property owners prefer short-term rentals to tourists, exacerbating housing affordability issues for residents.
The Bank of Spain reports that nearly 40% of Spanish families who rent their homes now spend close to half of their income on housing costs.
In response to the crisis, the government announced in April last year that it would end the "golden visa" program. This scheme previously granted residency rights to foreigners who made substantial real estate investments in Spain.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated this move was intended to ensure housing remains a basic right rather than a speculative commodity.
Read next
18:30
AI-powered blood test
A highly accurate blood test that uses artificial intelligence to detect multiple cancers from just a few drops of blood is now entering clinical trials across the UK’s National Health Service.
15:51
Earthquakes
A magnitude-6.3 earthquake jolted Ecuador’s Pacific coast near Esmeraldas early Friday, sending residents into the streets but causing no immediate damage or tsunami alert, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
15:26
Trump
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
14:53
U.S.- China trade
U.S. President Donald Trump told *Time* on Friday that he and China’s Xi Jinping are negotiating a tariff deal and have spoken by phone—an account Beijing continues to challenge.
14:32
A top envoy from President Donald Trump’s administration arrived in Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, just hours after a high-ranking Russian general was assassinated in a rare car bomb attack in the capital.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment