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Tens of thousands of people marched across Spain on Saturday April 5 in protests demanding action on the country’s worsening housing crisis. Demonstrations were held in major cities, including Madrid and Barcelona, where participants voiced frustration over skyrocketing rents, stagnant wages and a lack of affordable housing options.

 

Organised by housing rights groups and supported by Spain’s leading labour unions, the protests reflect mounting social discontent that poses a serious challenge for the country’s left-wing government and local authorities.

 

In Madrid, government officials estimated a turnout of 15,000, though organisers claimed the number reached 150,000. In Barcelona, city hall reported around 12,000 demonstrators, while organisers put the figure at more than 100,000. Marchers carried signs criticising short-term rentals and property speculation, with chants such as “Get Airbnb out of our neighbourhoods” echoing through the streets.

 

Spain has one of the lowest shares of public housing in Europe, with just under 2% of available housing dedicated to public rental stock, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This contrasts sharply with other European countries, such as France (14%), the UK (16%) and the Netherlands (34%).

 

The crisis is particularly acute in large cities and coastal areas, where housing demand is highest. Over the past decade, average rent in Spain has nearly doubled, from €7.20 per square metre in 2014 to €13 in 2023, according to data from real estate platform idealista. Incomes, especially among younger workers, have failed to keep pace, leaving many unable to afford either renting or buying a home.

 

A generation of young Spaniards now face the reality of extended dependence on their parents or sharing flats well into adulthood. Even those with steady or high-paying jobs often struggle to build the financial stability needed for home ownership.

 

Adding to the strain are international hedge funds and investment firms purchasing large portfolios of property to rent out to foreign tourists. Barcelona, one of the cities most affected, has pledged to eliminate all 10,000 of its short-term rental permits by 2028 in a bid to curb the impact on local housing availability.

 

As Spain’s housing market continues to price out growing segments of the population, particularly the young and working class, campaigners are calling for sweeping changes, including state investment in true public housing that is not in the hands of private promotors, as well as stricter regulation of short-term rentals and measures to rein in speculative investment.

 

Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez acknowledged the scale of the problem in a statement on social media, writing: “I share the demand of the numerous people who have marched today: that homes are for living in and not for speculating on.”

 

The Spanish government’s main policy response has been to introduce a rent cap mechanism, giving regional authorities the ability to limit rental increases in high-pressure areas. While the policy has reportedly brought slight reductions in rent in cities like Barcelona, its implementation remains limited and has not quelled public unrest.

 

According to Ignasi Martí, head of the Dignified Housing Observatory at Esade business school, the public anger is unlikely to subside without more significant reforms. “This is not the first, nor will it be the last, [housing protest] given the severity of the housing crisis,” he said.

 

Image: Izquierda Unida