The Canary Islands have welcomed the backing given by an influential EU body for measures to ensure affordable housing for the local population, particularly in the EU’s outermost regions.
Canarian president Fernando Clavijo attended a key meeting of the Committee of the Regions in Brussels yesterday where he made the case for special treatment to be given to regions such as the Canaries, where – among other factors – tourism exerts significant pressure on the property market and is seen as a contributing factor in locals being unable to afford a home.
In a strong message to the EU authorities, the Committee urged Brussels to take charge of guaranteeing “quality affordable housing” by providing local levels of government with the necessary support.
The Committee wants housing to be made a priority in the EU’s next multi-year budget for 2028–2034, negotiations on which will start later this year. In the meantime, it wants resources to be found immediately to cope with the growing housing emergency reported by local authorities at present.
A report prepared for yesterday’s meeting in Brussels by the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni Cuadrado, revealed that regions, provinces and municipalities are struggling to tackle the housing crisis gripping Europe as a result of average increases of 48% in prices between 2010 and 2023.
The backing of the Committee of the Regions, which called for regions such as the Canaris to be allowed to adopt special measures, based on their fragile economies, limited size, and lack of building land, to guarantee affordable housing for the population.
Although not explicitly stating it, the call is interpreted in some quarters as a demand for authorisation to introduce restrictions on the purchase of second homes by non-residents, a move which could trigger problems with EU legislation governing the free movement of persons.
However, another possibility is the adoption of attractive incentives to encourage second-home owners to rent their properties at affordable prices to locals rather for potentially more lucrative short-term holiday lets.
Photo: Gobierno de Canarias
