Oh, Ástrid. How good that sounds, that "with the left in power there is only unsafe housing," as if housing problems were solved with a headline and the right alone held the keys. But, darling, reality doesn't fit in a slogan, even if some want to package it that way.
"Friendly" funds and selective memory
First, let's talk about memory. Because when you mention the "insecurity" of housing, you seem to forget that vulture funds landed in Spain under governments of your own. Those golden years of Aznar and Botella, when thousands of public homes were sold at bargain prices to international funds with more hunger than scruples. The same ones that turned the right to a roof over one's head into a financial business. That also generated insecurity, Ástrid. But, of course, at that time it wasn't called speculation: it was called "market liberalization."
Housing powers: what is not said at rallies
Let me remind you of something basic: housing is the responsibility of the Autonomous Communities. Not the central government, not the opposing party. And in the Canary Islands, under executives of different stripes, not a single stressed area has ever been declared, even though rents are rising faster than the price of a coffee on a tourist terrace. In places like Lanzarote, where mass tourism has displaced hundreds of residents, not a single structural measure. Lots of talk, little action. Declaring stressed areas would not be an ideological failure, it would be an act of responsibility. But it seems that the fear of upsetting the tourism business still weighs more heavily here than the commitment to the neighbor who can no longer pay their rent.
Public housing: the pact that some forget
And since you're talking about "insecurity," let me refresh your memory: the public housing that is being built now was born thanks to the Pacto de las Flores, not your party. In fact, almost your beloved PP mayor wanted to hand them over to private developers to manage, as if public money were a birthday present. But no, the public housing project that is now advancing in the Canary Islands was born from a progressive pact that understood that housing is a right, not a business. And that, my dear, is also security. Social, economic, and human security.
Mass tourism and the false enemy
Meanwhile, we continue to hear the story of "the squatters," as if they were the main problem. The real squatter in the Canary Islands does not live in an abandoned apartment: it occupies the entire real estate market, in the form of overflowing tourism and uncontrolled vacation rentals. There lies the root of the problem, but that debate does not win easy votes. So the discourse of fear of the poor is preferred over the courage to confront the powerful.
Conclusion: less theater and more real policies
Housing is not protected with banners or gatherings, but with courageous and coherent policies. Talking about housing insecurity while blessing vulture funds, refusing to declare stressed areas, and trying to privatize public housing... that is insecurity. Because when neighbors cannot live where they were born and young people emigrate because they cannot afford rent, what fails is not the political color: what fails is shame.
By Nauzet Martín Betancort
Ay, Ástrid. How good that sounds, that "with the left in power there is only unsafe housing," as if housing problems were solved with a headline and the right alone held the keys. But, darling, reality doesn't fit in a slogan, even if some want to package it that way. "Friendly" funds and selective memory First, let's talk about memory. Because when you mention the "insecurity" of housing, you seem to forget that vulture funds landed in Spain under governments of your own. Those golden years of Aznar and Botella, when thousands of public homes were sold at bargain prices to international funds with more hunger than scruples. The same ones that turned the right to housing into a financial business. That also generated insecurity, Ástrid. But, of course, at that time it wasn't called speculation: it was called "market liberalization." Housing powers: what is not said at rallies Let me remind you of something basic: housing is the responsibility of the Autonomous Communities. Not the central government, not the opposing party. And in the Canary Islands, under executives of different stripes, not a single stressed area has ever been declared, even though rents are rising faster than the price of a coffee on a tourist terrace. In places like Lanzarote, where mass tourism has displaced hundreds of residents, not a single structural measure. Lots of talk, little action. Declaring stressed areas would not be an ideological failure, it would be an act of responsibility. But it seems that the fear of upsetting the tourism business still weighs more here than the commitment to the neighbor who can no longer pay their rent. Public housing: the pact that some forget And since you're talking about "insecurity," let me refresh your memory: the public housing being built now was born thanks to the Pacto de las Flores, not your party. In fact, almost your beloved PP mayor wanted to hand them over to private developers to manage, as if public money were a birthday present. But no, the public housing project that is now advancing in the Canary Islands was born from a progressive pact that understood that housing is a right, not a business. And that, my dear, is also security. Social security, economic and human. Mass tourism and the false enemy Meanwhile, we continue to hear the story of "the squatters," as if they were the main problem. The real squatter in the Canary Islands does not live in an abandoned apartment: it occupies the entire real estate market, in the form of overflowing tourism and uncontrolled vacation rentals. There lies the root of the problem, but that debate does not yield easy votes. So the discourse of fear of the poor is preferred over the courage to confront the powerful. Conclusion: less theater and more real policies Housing is not protected with banners or gatherings, but with courageous and coherent policies. Talking about housing insecurity while blessing vulture funds, refusing to declare stressed areas and trying to privatize public housing... that is insecurity. Because when neighbors cannot live where they were born and young people emigrate because they cannot afford rent, what fails is not the political color: what fails is shame.