The PSOE of Lanzarote has denounced this Monday in a press release the "alarming increase" in the number of vacation homes on the island since Oswaldo Betancort assumed the presidency of the Cabildo. Specifically, and according to the data advanced by La Voz, between June 2023 and April 2024, the figures have increased by 51.8%, from 5,198 to 7,891 homes, which represents an increase of 2,693 properties.
The island secretary of the PSOE of Lanzarote and Deputy in Congress has pointed out that “this uncontrolled growth has been caused by the call effect of the Government of the Canary Islands, after announcing that the new Law will limit the creation of new vacation homes for the next five years”.
“Lanzarote already has a desolate panorama: families allocate up to 70% of their salary to rent. This situation is not only unsustainable, it is unfair”, said Corujo.
The island secretary and deputy in Congress has stated forcefully: “The Canary Islands are being a paradise for everyone except those who live on the islands. The policies of denial in the face of the collapse we are experiencing are marking the way of life of young people. It is not fair that the arrival figures are increasing more and more at the expense of our territory, putting our main wealth at risk, while our young people find it increasingly difficult to live well”.
“We cannot allow our future generations to be forced to give up their right to live on their island, in their home. Lanzarote cannot become a theme park for tourists at the expense of its own inhabitants”, Corujo continued. “The lack of regulation and planning is a betrayal of those who have grown up here and want to stay”, she added.
In this sense, the PSOE has demanded that Oswaldo Betancort take urgent and effective measures to stop this uncontrolled increase in vacation homes. “A balanced approach is needed that guarantees both the development of responsible tourism and the right to decent housing for all residents. We must fight for a future where our young people do not have to put their way of life at risk. Housing must be a right, not a privilege”, Corujo concluded.
