Healthcare workers in Marbella say they are being forced to sleep in cars, vans and caravans – and shower at work – because they simply cannot afford rent in one of Spain’s most expensive coastal hotspots.

The situation is unfolding in the staff car park of the Costa del Sol University Hospital, where vehicles have effectively become makeshift homes for dozens of employees.

According to the CSIF union, around 30 workers are currently living out of their vehicles, a problem that has worsened sharply over the past two years.

Most affected are lower-paid staff such as porters and nursing assistants, many of whom travel from other provinces like Sevilla, Cordoba or Granada.

With salaries often below €1,500 a month, renting in Marbella is out of reach.

‘The first thing they encounter is the price of housing,’ said union representative Adrian Fernandez, speaking to Malaga Hoy.

‘When they ask about renting a room and see the cost, the alternative becomes their van, their car or a caravan.’

Some workers say rooms can cost €600 a month without bills, in an unsustainable expense when they are also paying mortgages or rent back home.

One employee, who has been sleeping in her car since February, described the experience bluntly: ‘It’s horrible. You suffer from heat, exhaustion… it’s awful.’

Her daily routine revolves around survival, blocking out light with sheets, moving the car to find shade, and trying to rest between shifts. ‘I barely sleep. The heat, the noise… it’s impossible,’ she said.

Others describe working long shifts, then returning to cramped vehicles for rest that never fully comes.

Many eat in the hospital cafeteria and rely on staff changing rooms for showers.

‘It’s not the same as having a home,’ said another worker who lives in a van. ‘But it’s the only way to keep working here.’

The lack of proper rest is also raising safety concerns. One worker admitted they recently crashed their car due to fatigue after poor sleep.

The housing crisis is now starting to impact staffing levels. Since a private staff bus service was scrapped, more than 20 workers have reportedly turned down or left jobs because commuting and living costs no longer add up.

‘The most viable option for many is simply to refuse the contract,’ Fernandez added.

Unions are calling on authorities to step in, suggesting temporary housing solutions or even basic measures like shaded parking areas to help those already sleeping in vehicles.

During the Covid pandemic, healthcare workers were allowed to stay in Marbella’s public leisure residence, in a solution unions say should be reconsidered.

That site has since been handed over for hotel development.

‘It’s not that we don’t want to be here,’ one worker said. ‘It’s that we can’t afford to live here.’

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.