Mass Mobilisation Against the Housing Crisis
Over the weekend, Spain witnessed one of its largest housing protests in recent years as organisers estimated around 150,000 people gathered in Madrid to call for an end to what they call the “housing racket.” Simultaneously, smaller yet significant demonstrations erupted across more than 40 cities nationwide.
From Málaga to Vigo, protestors took to the streets, chanting slogans like “End the housing racket” and “Landlords are guilty, the government is responsible.” The unified message was clear: Spain’s current housing system is failing its citizens, and immediate reform is needed.
“The Beginning of the End of the Housing Business”
Valeria Racu, spokesperson for the Madrid tenants’ union, described the protest as a pivotal moment in Spain’s housing movement.
“This is the beginning of the end of the housing business,” Racu stated. “The beginning of a better society, without landlordism and this parasitical system that devours our salaries and our resources.”
She even called for rent strikes, inspired by recent examples in coastal towns in Catalonia.
Skyrocketing Costs, Stagnant Wages
The union reports that 1.4 million Spanish households are currently spending more than 30% of their income on housing—a significant increase from a decade ago. This burden is particularly heavy on young people, 85% of whom still live with their parents due to unaffordable rents, according to a Spanish youth council study.
In the Balearic Islands, average rent for a small apartment has surged 40% in five years to €1,400—more than the monthly salary of many hospitality workers, the region’s primary workforce.
The Impact of Tourism and Speculation
What began as a housing crisis in tourist-heavy regions like Barcelona, the Canary Islands, and the Balearics has now spread throughout the country.
Barcelona has declared it will not renew 10,000 tourist apartment licences when they expire in 2028, citing pressures on the housing market. In Madrid, there are an estimated 15,000 illegal tourist apartments driving prices even higher.
Cities such as Seville, Valencia, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, and San Sebastián also joined the protests. Demonstrators in these cities rattled sets of keys, a symbolic act representing the locked doors of housing access.
Barcelona’s Rising Rents and Growing Inequality
In Barcelona, protesters gathered in the iconic Plaça d’Espanya, demanding sweeping reforms including:
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A 50% reduction in rent
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Indefinite leases
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An end to property speculation
According to the Catalan housing agency, rents in the city have surged 70% over the past decade, while wages have only increased 17.5% in the same period.
The Call for Wealth Redistribution
Jaime Palomera, from the Barcelona Urban Research Institute and author of El Secuestro de la Vivienda (The Kidnapping of Housing), criticised the economic system that prioritises real estate as a profitable investment.
“The housing game is rigged in favour of anyone with assets,” he said. “We have an economic model that encourages investment in assets that don’t create any value but simply use rent as a way of sucking money out of the middle classes.”
Palomera advocates for higher taxes on those owning multiple properties, pointing to Singapore’s model where first-time buyers are supported and property accumulation is discouraged through progressive taxation.
A National Movement for Change
With more Spaniards unable to afford basic housing, what was once seen as a regional issue is now a nationwide crisis. The protests signal a rising tide of public frustration and demand for urgent government action.
If these demonstrations are any indication, Spain’s citizens are no longer willing to accept housing as a luxury—they are ready to fight for it as a fundamental right.
