Housing Decree Faces Backlash Over Residency Rules
The housing organisation Derecho al Techo has criticised a new draft decree approved by the Canary Islands Government that toughens the requirements for accessing public housing. The rules now demand either ten years of continuous or fifteen years of discontinuous residency in the archipelago. The group denounces the measure as a breach of the principle of equality, arguing it penalises those with fewer resources or who were forced to emigrate.
Accusations of Exclusionary and Discriminatory Criteria
According to the platform, the decree introduces exclusionary criteria with overtones of “institutional aporophobia and xenophobia”, as it conditions the right to housing on an administrative track record rather than genuine need. “It does not attack the real problem suffered by the Canary Islands,” they maintain, “which is speculation, over-tourism, the accumulation of housing in the hands of investment funds and large landlords, and the historic absence of a sufficient public housing stock.”
Concerns for Returning Islanders and Social Fragmentation
Among the doubts raised by Derecho al Techo are the cases of Canary Islanders who emigrated in search of work or education and, upon returning, do not meet the minimum required years of residence. “Are they being penalised for not having been able to stay when there were no opportunities here?” the organisation questions. The collective believes that tightening access to an already insufficient public housing stock does not constitute a housing policy, but rather a “cosmetic operation” that shifts government responsibility onto the most vulnerable population.
Call for Real Solutions to the Housing Crisis
In their view, the measure fragments society by establishing a “dangerous hierarchy of rights based on length of stay.” Instead, Derecho al Techo demands a real and urgent expansion of the public housing stock and the implementation of policies that confront speculation, empty homes, and uncontrolled tourist use. “The right to housing cannot become a prize nor a tool of exclusion,” the entity concludes.
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