Derecho al Techo has announced that it will appear this Wednesday before the Canary Islands Housing Institute (ICAVI) to demand that the Government of the Canary Islands publicly position itself on the housing crisis that is plaguing the archipelago and incorporate the main measures proposed by the tenants' unions and Derecho al Techo. Among other measures, it asks that the Executive tackle "the fraud" of temporary rentals and apply mechanisms to combat the increase in rental prices.
"Housing can no longer be treated as a commodity while thousands of families live in permanent fear of a rent increase, the end of their contract, or being evicted from their homes," it defends in a statement.
Thus, they explain that the so-called Decreto Maricarmen represents for the tenant movement "an opportunity to address some of the structural causes of the housing emergency, the stability of contracts, regulation of seasonal and room rentals when they conceal habitual housing needs, containment of prices, and effective protection against evictions".
"From the Canary Islands, we want to make it clear that responsibility does not end in Madrid," they warn. At the same time, they defend that the Government of the Canary Islands has its own powers and tools in housing matters and must use them. Since 2025, regional regulations have included a specific procedure for declaring stressed residential market areas, and municipalities can initiate the procedure, but it is up to the Ministry of Housing to resolve the declaration.
Therefore, they demand that the Canary Islands Executive:
- Publicly demand from the central Government a Decreto Maricarmen that provides a real response to the housing emergency.
- Promote and facilitate the declaration of stressed residential market areas wherever the legal requirements are met.
- Apply effective mechanisms to contain rental prices.
- Act against the "fraud" of seasonal rentals and other means used to evade the regulation of habitual housing.
- Implement measures to recover empty housing for residential use.
- Protect and expand the public housing stock.
- Ensure that no vulnerable person is evicted from their home without a dignified and adequate housing alternative.
"Eviction is the last link in a chain that starts much earlier, unaffordable rents, unstable contracts, precariousness, speculation, and lack of alternatives," insists the collective. "We don't want more patches. We want stability, regulation, and housing as a right," they add.
And we want to send a clear message to the Government of the Canary Islands: "Housing is also the responsibility of the Government of the Canary Islands. Let them not pass the buck."
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