Palma takes to the streets: Thousands demand 'Housing as a Right'

Palma takes to the streets: Thousands demand 'Housing as a Right'

'Feim de l’habitatge un dret' – Protests in the city centre after the rejection of rent-protection decrees

Can housing in Palma remain affordable if nothing changes? That was the guiding question echoing through the alleys of the old town on Saturday. Around 3,000 people marched, according to the organizers, under the Catalan slogan "Feim de l’habitatge un dret": from busy corners at the Passeig del Born past cafés, by the Plaça de Cort, and finally to the Plaça d’Espanya, where a protest camp had been set up days earlier.

The demonstration was organized by three groups: the Sindicat de Llogateres de Mallorca, the Sindicat d’Habitatge de Palma and the Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH). Their demands are broad: longer rental contracts, stronger protection for particularly vulnerable tenants and tougher rules against drastic rent increases – points that were also debated in Madrid. The immediate trigger for the new wave of protests was the recent parliamentary decision not to confirm two housing policy decrees from the central government.

The banners did not carry abstract slogans but concrete demands: protection from evictions, better control of vacant properties, clear rules for handling holiday rentals. The mood varied – from loud chants to quiet, determined groups of older people. Some carried photos of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, whose forced eviction in Madrid on 23 September sparked nationwide anger and brought more people to the demonstrations.

Critical analysis: the protesters see the rejection of the decrees as a symptom, not the cause. The island has been struggling for years with rising rents, a tight supply and evictions. What is often missing, activists say, is an honest debate about how much of the pressure on the housing market is caused by tourist rentals, speculative investments and sluggish municipal policies. Also frustrating is the fact that places like Manacor and Inca are not yet registered as "areas with a strained housing market" – which means regulatory and support tools cannot be applied there.

What has so far rarely been part of the public debate: transparent ownership registers, concrete figures on vacant flats on the island and the question of how many new apartments are actually being planned for permanent housing rather than for holiday rentals. Also seldom mentioned is how local administrations could be better staffed and legally equipped to enforce permits and controls more quickly.

An everyday scene from Palma: on the Passeig des Born, between tourist kiosks and a bakery, youngsters were drumming, retirees handed out flyers, two mothers with strollers stopped to talk. A taxi honked, a dog barked, seagulls circled. The diversity of participants reflected what the organizers emphasized: the housing shortage affects all age groups and social classes.

Concrete solutions mentioned on site can be summarised into short action areas: first, short-term protection – for example faster assistance and legal support in the event of imminent evictions; second, regulation – stronger controls of holiday rentals, possible temporary rent caps in particularly strained areas and tax measures against vacancy; third, long-term measures – accelerated investment in social housing, repurposing suitable existing properties for permanent housing and support for cooperative housing projects.

At municipal level, some activists propose that towns more consistently designate "areas with a strained housing market" to gain access to special funding and regulatory tools. At regional and state level, the reinstatement or redesign of tenant protection measures is mentioned – precisely the issues that were disputed in parliament. In addition, data registers on ownership structures and vacancy seem necessary to make speculation visible and manageable.

Pointed conclusion: the demonstration in Palma was more than a single day of protest. It reflected an island where housing is becoming increasingly scarce and the political response appears fragmented. Whether through legal improvements from Madrid, more decisive action by cities or new local housing projects – without tangible measures the pressure on the housing market will continue to rise. The street chants on Saturday were clear: housing must not become a luxury, and now politics are called upon to act, not just the public's outrage on the streets.