Lanzarote’s growing housing crisis has pushed a local mother to the brink, forcing her and her young son to live in a car for 17 days with their two dogs, after being unable to find any affordable accommodation on the island.
The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous out of fear of social repercussions, is one of many facing the harsh reality of skyrocketing rental prices and property values.
With real estate prices on the island exceeding €3,000 per square metre, finding a suitable and affordable home has become an increasingly unattainable goal for many working families.
Driven by a fear of intervention from social services, she took to social media in a desperate search for support. Her story echoes a broader trend: an increasing number of residents, including essential workers, have resorted to living in their vehicles as a result of the island’s dire housing shortage.
Eventually, she managed to find temporary refuge by renting a room in the north of the island for €400 a month. However, the arrangement has left her feeling unsafe. “I don’t want to stay here; I’m worried about my son’s safety,” she said in an interview. Her son, who struggles with attention deficit issues, is also suffering due to the instability of their living situation.
In an effort to consolidate her mounting expenses, currently €400 for the room and €700 to rent a car, she is now searching for a motorhome that could serve as both a living space and a mobile base for her craftwork. She hopes such a solution will allow her to regain a sense of autonomy and stability for herself and her son.
Although she maintains a cooperative relationship with her ex-partner, who contributes €300 to rent another room in the same shared house, the financial burden remains overwhelming.
Stricter rental conditions and landlord reluctance to rent to families with children or pets have only worsened the situation. “A family can’t live here anymore,” she said, highlighting the increasing marginalisation of ordinary families in Lanzarote’s overheated property market.
In a final effort to ease her situation, she is now using social media to seek shelter for her dogs, in the hope of avoiding putting them in a kennel, another painful concession in her ongoing struggle to keep her family together.
