Janice R. Andrews
Madrid witnessed a large-scale protest on Sunday as citizens rallied for affordable housing solutions amid escalating rental costs. While organizers reported 150,000 participants, official figures suggested 22,000 attendees. The demonstrators specifically targeted short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com, accusing them of exacerbating the housing shortage.
Protesters, united under the banner “Housing is a right, not a business,” expressed their discontent with rising rents and deteriorating living conditions. The demonstration’s impact extended beyond its official conclusion, with some activists blocking Madrid’s main thoroughfare, Gran Vía.
The Spanish government has already initiated measures to address the crisis, including a July announcement to investigate short-term rental platforms for compliance with licensing and regulations. These actions aim to strike a balance between supporting tourism and ensuring adequate housing for residents.
Simultaneously, Barcelona held its own protest, with locals attributing inflated rental prices and overtourism to the upcoming America’s Cup yachting event. This echoes recent demonstrations in other popular tourist destinations like the Canary Islands and Malaga, where both residents and seasonal workers face severe housing shortages, with some resorting to living in vehicles.
These ongoing protests across Spain highlight the growing public demand for government intervention to limit the influence of short-term rental platforms and prioritize affordable housing solutions for citizens.
