Large Housing Protest in La Laguna Calls for Action on Rent Crisis
Over 3,000 people gathered in San Cristóbal de La Laguna on Saturday, demanding urgent reforms to address the housing crisis in the Canary Islands. Organised by the Tenerife Tenants’ Union (SIT), the demonstration received support from over 50 groups, including unions, neighbourhood associations, and various cultural and feminist organisations.
The march began at 11:30 am from Parque Estudiante Javier Fernández Quesada, with chants such as “the Canary government is a real estate agent” echoing throughout. Participants described the atmosphere as both combative and family-friendly, noting the diverse crowd of locals joining in along the route.
After the march, representatives from the LGBT+ group Abrir Brecha Canarias and the Association for the Defence of Public Pensions of the Canary Islands read a manifesto, highlighting that the responsibility for the housing crisis lies with large investors and banks deliberately straining the market. There are currently over 211,000 vacant homes in the Canary Islands, while rental prices have skyrocketed by 143% in the last 13 years. The average rent now exceeds €1,000 per month, and buying a home would take nearly 15 years’ worth of salary.
In La Laguna, rents have reached a historic high of over €1,700 per square metre this year, while the general average across the archipelago exceeds €2,200. Moreover, listings in the city have shown a stark contrast, with real estate portals offering over 500 tourist rentals compared to only 49 for residential purposes.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are identified as the two Spanish cities with the highest concentration of multiple landlords, which the SIT links to the touristification of the area and the conversion of homes into financial assets.
The manifesto also carried a strong political message rejecting the notion that migrants are the cause of the housing crisis. Spokespeople from the SIT emphasised that many in the working class face similar struggles with rent, jobs, and supporting their families.
During the protest, the SIT proposed a Housing Emergency Plan with 13 immediate measures, including caps on rent in overburdened areas, indefinite rental contracts, a ban on speculative purchasing, and the recovery of tourist properties for residential use. They directly challenged local authorities, calling on La Laguna’s mayor Luis Yeray Gutiérrez to declare the area as “stressed” and impose rental controls, while also urging Santa Cruz’s mayor José Manuel Bermúdez to prevent evictions without housing alternatives.
Concluding the event, the manifesto declared, “We will not wait for our political representatives. Today marks the beginning of a new cycle of neighbourhood struggle, where communities will reclaim their power to transform our living spaces.” La Laguna was highlighted as a poignant example of the displacement facing residents, symbolising a broader threat to the entire archipelago.
