Teachers forced to turn down jobs over housing crisis
A growing number of teachers in the Canary Islands are being forced to decline job placements, particularly in rural and tourist-heavy municipalities, due to the lack of affordable housing.
The teachers' union Anpe has called on the regional government for help.
They are asking them to introduce urgent measures to guarantee fair access to housing and dignified working conditions for educators, especially those required to relocate between islands.
Pedro Crespo, president of Anpe Canarias, explained that teachers assigned to areas such as Arona in Tenerife, Haría in Lanzarote, and rural parts of El Hierro have been unable to accept their positions after failing to secure affordable accommodation. “Housing is becoming a barrier to access public education,” Crespo warned.
The problem is particularly challenging for substitute teachers or newly qualified professionals who are often asked to cover short-term vacancies. “It’s simply not worth it for them,” Crespo said, noting that this not only impacts teachers but also disrupts learning for students when replacements cannot be found in time.
Temporary staff and young professionals are among those most affected, especially in high-demand areas such as southern Tenerife and Gran Canaria, as well as much of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
In these areas, rental costs can exceed 40% of a substitute teacher’s salary. “This only adds to the precariousness of the profession,” Crespo added.
He also highlighted the burden of inter-island mobility, which often involves high transport and relocation costs, loss of personal stability, and difficulties securing long-term rental contracts. Many teachers find themselves trapped in expensive short-term lets, facing frequent moves and ongoing uncertainty. “It directly affects their well-being and drains their energy,” Crespo said, adding that it makes work-life balance nearly impossible.
Crespo criticised the current system, saying it only provides a basic allowance for living in the Canary Islands, which doesn’t do enough to cover the extra costs of island life. He argued that this is “woefully inadequate” and called for a specific housing allowance for teachers, similar to the one introduced in the Balearic Islands.
Anpe has proposed several additional solutions, including creating a pool of public housing for teachers, regulating short-term holiday lets to protect long-term rental availability, and introducing local housing support schemes for interim staff. The union is also pushing for policies that allow teachers to work closer to their home islands and municipalities whenever possible.
“We’ve tried to help by putting teachers in touch with local landlords, but this is not enough. The government needs to step in,” Crespo said.
However, Education Councillor Poli Suárez said during a press conference on 24th July that the government is not currently in a position to directly manage the issue. “Housing is a priority for this government, and we recognise that it affects teachers who have to relocate. But as the Education Department, we don’t have the properties or the capacity to take on that responsibility,” he explained.
Suárez acknowledged that the issue is being discussed and that several unions are demanding housing solutions, but called for “realism.” “We’re not saying no, but we must recognise that this is a complex matter that we can’t solve right now,” he stated.
He concluded by stressing the need for further analysis: “It’s important we study the problem to understand what solutions are possible. I don’t have a magic wand to fix the housing situation for teachers in the Canary Islands.”
Share:
