A motion in the Balearic parliament to require British expats to have up to 15 years residency before purchasing a home in the archipelago has not been successful. Més per Menorca’s Josep Castells proposed the parliamentary motion in a bid to give priority of housing to residents, but it was unlikely the action succeed.
Castells argued that the “extremely high” demand for second homes from high-income foreigners is driving up prices, resulting in a housing shortage for families in the Balearics. He asked President Marga Prohens if she agreed that residents should have priority.
The president said: “The time has indeed come to think about housing for residents of the Balearics – families, young people, middle-income earners, and workers – after eight years of a left-wing government during which time more luxury homes were built and for more foreign buyers than ever before.”
Prohens expressed her support for “absolute priority being given to residents” in housing but noted that “we can’t tell families in the Balearics who to sell their homes to”, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.
She highlighted Balearic Government initiatives to address the housing emergency, including the decree for strategic residential projects requiring proof of residency of at least five years to access social housing or limited-price housing.
Prohens added that town halls can extend this minimum five-year period, giving the examples of Esporles and Calvia, where it is seven years, and Sencelles, where it is ten years.
A report last month revealed that the Balearic Islands need a staggering 91,000 homes with “acceptable” rent prices to tackle the housing crisis.
The shortage of affordable rental properties is a major worry for local families, and one of the key reasons behind last summer’s anti-tourism protests. The booming but often illegal holiday rental market has further inflated rents, exacerbating the crisis.
Anti-tourism demonstrations may erupt across the island again this summer as the housing crisis continues. Activist group Menys Turisme, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) said it would “intensify” its actions following a billion-euro investment in the tourist sector and the rise of real estate and luxury tourism.
They accused local authorities of prioritising tourism over infrastructure for permanent residents: “While the tourist lobby continues to get rich and prices skyrocket, wages are stagnant and the living conditions of the working class continue to become more precarious,” they said in a message on social media.
