Thousands of people took to the streets of La Laguna yesterday (Saturday) to demand urgent action over Tenerife's growing housing crisis, as around 50 organisations joined a large demonstration calling for affordable homes for residents.

The march, organised by the Tenerife Tenants' Union (Sindicato de Inquilinas de Tenerife - SIT), began at Javier Fernández Quesada Student Park before making its way through the town centre in a noisy but peaceful protest.

According to the organisers, the large turnout reflects the growing concern over housing affordability, which they describe as one of the biggest challenges facing working people in the Canary Islands.

"Homes are being treated as investments"

The Tenerife Tenants' Union argues that the housing crisis is not the result of bad luck or exceptional circumstances but is instead the consequence of an economic model that prioritises private profit over people's right to a home.

The group says property prices and rental costs have soared over the past decade, with both rents and house prices doubling in many municipalities, where a significant proportion of rental housing is controlled by large property owners.

Tourism under scrutiny

The union believes the housing shortage is closely linked to the rapid growth of tourism-related accommodation.

It argues that the expansion of holiday lets, the increase in short-term rentals, foreign investment in property and the treatment of housing as a financial asset have all contributed to a sharp reduction in the number of homes available for permanent residents.

Call for emergency measures

As part of the demonstration, the Tenerife Tenants' Union renewed its call for a 13-point Emergency Housing Plan, which includes:

• Declaring high-pressure housing zones and introducing effective rent caps.
• Bringing empty properties owned by large landlords back into use through tougher tax measures.
• Ending speculative property purchases.
• Stopping public campaigns promoting the Canary Islands as a destination for digital nomads.

The organisers say these measures are needed to tackle what they describe as a housing emergency that is forcing residents, workers and families out of their neighbourhoods and making it increasingly difficult for local people to remain in the communities where they grew up.

The demonstration is the latest in a series of protests highlighting housing affordability in the Canary Islands, where rising demand, limited supply and the continued growth of tourism have fuelled an increasingly heated public debate over access to housing.