Spain Endorses Canary Islands’ Plan to Curb Foreign Property Purchases
In a significant move to address the housing crisis, Spain’s Minister for Housing and Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez, has thrown her support behind a proposal from the Canary Islands government to limit the purchase of homes by non-resident foreigners. This endorsement, confirmed in an official statement, marks a pivotal step in the regional government’s efforts to protect housing access for its residents.
A Unified Front for Housing Rights
Following a meeting between Canarian officials and the national minister, Pablo Rodríguez, the regional Minister of Public Works, Housing and Mobility, announced that the state has accepted “the vast majority of our proposals for the State Housing Plan.” He emphasized that this collaboration ensures the plan will be “an instrument that reflects the reality and particularities of the Canary Islands.” Crucially, Minister Rodríguez confirmed the state’s backing for their appeal to the European Union to “protect the right to housing for all Canarians and limit its purchase by non-resident foreigners.”
The Impact of Non-Resident Buyers on the Local Market
The Spanish government’s support for the Canarian initiative is a direct response to a pressing issue. Alongside the boom in short-term holiday rentals, property purchases by non-residents have driven up prices, reduced the supply of homes for permanent residents, and threatened the social sustainability of the archipelago. The regional government’s statement highlighted how this dynamic compromises the right of Canarians to access adequate housing on their own islands.
Minister Rodríguez provided a stark statistic to illustrate the scale of the problem: “In recent years alone, one third of all property sales in the Canary Islands have been made by non-resident foreigners.” He argued that in a market with limited supply and growing demand, this trend directly impacts the ability of locals “to develop their life projects and find a decent home.”
Seeking EU Approval for Insular Protection
This political backing confirms that the Canary Islands’ proposal is both “viable and necessary,” according to Rodríguez. It also reinforces the role of Europe’s outermost regions in shaping housing policies that suit their unique circumstances. The regional government recently presented its concerns to the EU’s Islands Commission in Barcelona, criticizing the lack of a firm community strategy to address priority issues for island territories, such as an updated housing policy.
The proposal from the Canary Islands advocates for a tailored regulatory approach. This would protect housing access for the local population, reduce the vulnerability of workers and families, and ensure a sustainable balance between economic activity, social cohesion, and the right to housing.
Adapting the National Housing Plan for Island Realities
Beyond the restriction on foreign buyers, progress has been made on adapting the national housing strategy. Antonio Ortega, Director of the Canary Islands Housing Institute (Icavi), reported that “the Ministry has addressed 80% of the proposals we presented.” The next step is to finalize the details of each action. Ortega explained that regarding fund allocation criteria, the ministry has asked them to resubmit their proposals at the next Sectoral Conference, where the autonomous communities can cast their votes.
In October 2025, the Canary Islands government submitted a detailed document to the ministry with specific amendments to tailor the State Housing Plan to island realities. Key proposals included:
- Updating the criteria for fund distribution, which currently uses parameters from 1991, to reflect the current socioeconomic reality.
- Recognizing the extra costs associated with building and developing housing in the Canaries due to insularity, geographic dispersion, and unique logistics.
- Revising income thresholds for accessing public housing or aid, ensuring they are adjusted to the territory’s reality to better protect the most vulnerable Canarians.
- Funding management and administrative costs within the plan to guarantee resources for staff, processing, and aid monitoring.
- Implementing measures to address rental arrears, providing legal security for landlords to encourage more availability of rental homes.
Towards a Tangible Solution for Locals
The regional government stressed that its goal was to ensure the State Plan would not be a “one-size-fits-all recipe” but a flexible framework sensitive to the particularities of each territory, especially the outermost regions. The ministry’s expressed support is seen as a reinforcement of the Canary Islands’ ambition to turn these proposals into tangible realities. The ultimate objective is to create more affordable public housing, implement adapted policies, and enact measures that guarantee the right to decent housing for all Canarians.
