A resident of Lanzarote, Alexa Nicastro, has launched a petition through the change.org platform to address the problem of the lack of residential rentals on the island.
"The fundamental problems are two: the scarce supply of properties and a large increase in the price of rentals in the last three years," criticizes Nicastro. "The problem is no longer just that for the rental of a one-bedroom apartment they ask you for more than half the minimum wage, two months' deposit and agency fees, but to that is added the proliferation of vacation homes," she adds.
For this reason, the resident who started the petition points out that "the subsidies to tenants foreseen in the 2020/2025 Housing Plan will not solve the current problems in the short, medium or long term. There are employees, families, teachers, doctors, etc. with a job desperately looking for housing on this island to have a roof to live under, not to mention the lack of Public Housing Stock for 27 years.
To all of the above, we must add the serious crisis we are going through, which results in precarious jobs, job loss, etc., which is leading many families to not leave the house when the rental contracts end because there are no available homes, and the few that there are, are at an unattainable price."
Nicastro refers to article 47 of the Spanish Constitution to claim access to housing. "All Spaniards have the right to enjoy decent and adequate housing. The public authorities shall promote the necessary conditions and establish the relevant rules to make this right effective, regulating the use of land, in accordance with the general interest, to prevent speculation. The Community shall participate in the capital gains generated by the urban action of public entities," she explains.
"All this is a social drama for which a viable solution must be found, otherwise, it is more than likely that it will end in a social outburst, which is not good for anyone," concludes Nicastro.
