Thousands of people are taking to the streets of Malaga and Cadiz today as campaigners stage yet another demonstration over the worsening housing crisis.
The protests began at 11.30am under the slogan: ‘Neither sky-high rents nor rock-bottom wages’.
Organisers from the ‘Málaga para vivir’ (Malaga to Live) platform say it will be the fourth major housing protest held in the city in the past two years, following the last demonstration on April 5.
Protesters were seen holding up signs, with one reading: ‘Guiris, you’re NOT welcome’.
It added: ‘Before you kick us out of our city, we are occupying the town hall, we have nothing to lose!’
The group accuses politicians of allowing soaring rents, precarious working conditions and unchecked urban development to force local residents out of their neighbourhoods.
‘We’re protesting against a city model that speculates with our homes and pushes us out of the places where we live,’ organisers said.
The Malaga march forms part of a coordinated day of action across Spain, with similar demonstrations planned in cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza and Cadiz.
Campaigners are calling for what they describe as a ‘general strike over housing’, arguing that the affordability crisis has reached breaking point.
The latest figures underline why housing has become one of the Costa del Sol’s biggest political issues.
According to property portal pisos.com, the average rental price in Malaga province reached €14.37 per square metre in January, making it the fifth most expensive province in Spain for tenants.
Average rents increased by 7.6% compared with a year earlier.
Campaigners claim many tenants are now paying around €1,200 per month to rent a home in Malaga – an amount they say is increasingly unaffordable for ordinary workers.
They argue that wages have failed to keep pace with rising housing costs, leaving many residents trapped by insecure employment, stagnant salaries and the growing risk of eviction.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
