Housing crisis in Spain

The shortage of affordable housing is pushing the Spanish real estate market into an unprecedented spiral. Tens of thousands of cases of home occupation, tenants refusing to leave, and groups of illegal settlers are leaving homeowners in a difficult situation. Against this backdrop, a new profession has emerged: the eviction of illegal settlers. This controversial service reflects the dark side of the housing crisis in Spain, where both homeowners and tenants are trapped under ever-increasing financial pressure.

Every time Angela Mendoza and her team appear in the neighborhood, they create a tense atmosphere. Their job is to evict tenants who are illegally occupying or failing to pay rent from apartments when the landlords are powerless to stop them. For tenants in difficult circumstances, the fear of being evicted is ever-present. They are determined to stay, but the landlords cannot simply let them remain.

Data shows that home evictions are on the rise. 16,000 cases were recorded in 2024 alone. At the same time, the court system has been pushed to its limits, with Andalusia alone having nearly a million pending cases, causing the process of obtaining eviction orders to drag on for years. In this gap, companies that forcibly evict tenants, like Angela's, are rapidly growing.

Angela describes her work as being based on psychology and cooperation rather than intimidation. In one intervention case, a tenant had failed to pay rent for three months. Angela and her team of three approached cautiously, eventually persuading the man to sign a commitment to leave the house within three weeks. It was a successful case: the property was returned to the landlord without conflict.

Angela Mendoza, from a private eviction service company, said: "The work is primarily based on psychology and a socially cooperative approach. However, in the worst-case scenario, conflicts are still unavoidable."

Just two streets away, an elderly couple burst into tears of relief. Their rented apartment had been taken over by a tenant who was forcing them to pay their monthly electricity and water bills. They said they had run out of options before turning to Angela.

However, services like these don't always receive support. Maria is a woman facing the risk of losing her home. She always pays on time. But her old apartment building is about to be demolished to make way for a new high-rise, while the price of a new home is beyond her means. The fear of being evicted haunts her.

Jose Juan Martinez, representing a community initiative in Zaidín, stated that the crisis is a direct consequence of the tourism boom. Since 2021, the number of apartments rented out to tourists has doubled. According to him, local residents are being pushed out of traditional working-class areas as landlords prioritize short-term profits.

Jose Juan Martinez, a representative of the Zaidín residential area, shared: "The problem of home encroachment is becoming increasingly serious, largely due to the scarcity of affordable housing. For the past 15 years, new home construction has almost completely stalled."

Against this backdrop, a major effort is underway in the Malaga suburbs, where over 7,000 social housing units are being built to increase supply. However, lengthy approval processes mean these social housing projects can take more than 10 years to complete. This bureaucratic spiral continues to stifle housing supply, further exacerbating pressure on the rental market.

Source: https://vtv.vn/khung-hoang-nha-o-tai-tay-ban-nha-10025111323245437.htm