Drago Gran Canaria on the Eviction of a Family with Six Minors: “Effective Measures Against Housing Shortages Are Not Being Implemented”
The housing shortage affecting the island and the archipelago is exacerbated by the lack of effective public policies from the relevant administrations to find short-term solutions.
Drago Gran Canaria proposes measures such as making vacant housing available through institutions, halting campaigns aimed at attracting new residents, and taxing financial and real estate speculation, among other ideas.
Luis de la Barrera, spokesperson for Drago Gran Canaria, stated: “The people of Gran Canaria cannot rent or buy a home at reasonable prices because more and more properties are being allocated for temporary rentals, holiday homes, and digital nomads.”
Drago Gran Canaria denounces the serious housing situation faced by many individuals and families in southeastern Gran Canaria due to the absence of effective public policies from various administrations responsible for housing: the state government, the Government of the Canary Islands, the Gran Canaria Cabildo, and the municipalities of Ingenio and Santa Lucía de Tirajana.
In this regard, De la Barrera expressed “particular concern” about the imminent eviction of an eight-person family in Ingenio, six of whom are minors aged between 3 and 14, instigated by the vulture fund Promontoria Yellowstone based in Ireland. “According to press reports, the only solution offered by the local council was payment for two months of rent,” lamented De la Barrera.
“Currently, no effective measures are being implemented against the lack of housing,” continued the spokesperson, adding that “the public administrations in Gran Canaria seem more concerned with attracting tourists, digital nomads, and new residents than addressing the housing shortages faced by the island’s population.”
According to one of the most well-known real estate portals, there are currently only nine homes available for rent in the town of Ingenio, all priced from €680. Data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) indicates that there are 2,296 vacant homes in the municipality, amounting to 16.5% of the property stock. Furthermore, according to the Canary Islands government’s non-hotel registration, Ingenio has 818 holiday rental spaces.
Additionally, De la Barrera pointed out the equally concerning news of a man being arrested in Vecindario, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, for allegedly committing repeated sexual assaults, privacy violations, threats, and harassment against his tenant, with whom he lived in a property he owned, rented for €400 without any formal contract.
Similar to the previous case, the same real estate portal shows that there are currently only 18 homes available for rent in the municipality of Santa Lucía de Tirajana, all priced from €700. According to INE data, there are 3,440 vacant homes in the municipality, representing 11.3% of the property stock. Moreover, the Canary Islands government’s non-hotel registration lists 2,403 holiday rental spaces in Santa Lucía de Tirajana.
De la Barrera believes that “both situations demonstrate the social collapse faced by the Gran Canaria population, which cannot rent or buy homes at reasonable prices because an increasing number are being allocated for temporary rentals, holiday homes, digital nomad residences, purchases by affluent European foreigners, residential tourism, or real estate speculation by banks, real estate companies, multinationals, and vulture funds.”
Therefore, Drago Gran Canaria demands that both the municipalities of Ingenio and Santa Lucía de Tirajana, as well as the Gran Canaria Cabildo, approve urgent, effective, and structural measures regarding housing, such as acquiring vacant properties, halting promotional campaigns for attracting new residents, declaring stressed zones, granting social rents, taxing financial and real estate speculation, regulating holiday homes, or declassifying tourist land.
For the spokesperson of Drago Gran Canaria, “there are many measures that can be taken; the question is whether there is political will.”
