Living in Mallorca: Nearly 10,000 Households on the Social Housing Waiting List

Housing becomes a test of patience: Nearly 10,000 households on the waiting list

When you ride the bus along the Avenidas in the morning, the scent of coffee, voices from open cafés and the clatter of cups mix in the air. Beneath all that noise there is another tune: the quiet worry about affordable housing. Currently nearly 10,000 families are on the waiting list of the Balearic housing institute Ibavi — more than 6,000 of them on Mallorca. This is not an abstract number; these are neighbours, colleagues and tradespeople who are increasingly desperate in their search.

The numbers tell a clear story

Registrations are about 20 percent higher than last year and almost 50 percent more than four years ago. At the same time, rents and purchase prices have risen by approximately 80 percent over the last ten years. Such increases eat into incomes — many report that already half of their net salary goes to cold rent. Particularly affected are single parents, young families, and workers in the service sector, from supermarkets to childcare.

Why the waiting list does not get shorter

Red tape and insufficient capacity at Ibavi play a role, but the fundamental problem is structural: the island, shaped by tourism, has a real estate market oriented toward returns rather than sustainability. Short-term rentals, vacant holiday apartments during peak times and the conversion of residential units for tourist purposes exacerbate the supply problem. A little-noticed consequence: many shops remain empty because owners prefer to target tourist use — this changes entire neighbourhoods.

What is often overlooked

Public debates often miss the practical hurdles: How many developers actually receive subsidies, how quickly can reclassifications be realized, and why do some municipal housing stocks remain unused? Above all there is a lack of a unified roadmap between the island government, municipalities and private owners. The issue of subletting for seasonal workers or the temporary use of unused hotel capacity in winter is also rarely pursued systematically.

Concrete approaches — not just Sunday speeches

There are solutions that may not work overnight but could have a faster effect if combined:

1. Accelerated reclassification and renovation: Municipal task teams to inspect vacant buildings and release them for social housing. This would streamline construction and approval processes without sacrificing quality.

2. Incentives for owners: Tax relief or grants when vacant apartments are allocated to social programs — instead of being handed over to the holiday market.

3. Temporary solutions: Use of underutilized hotels in the low season or modular housing as bridge offers until permanent housing is created.

4. New housing models: Housing cooperatives, community land trust models and municipal building groups could decouple ownership and keep housing affordable in the long term.

Such measures require money, courage and coordination. Island politics has some pilot projects on the table, but the path from idea to implementation is often longer than the patience of those affected.

Who pays the price — and who benefits?

If nothing changes, a two-tier island threatens: tourism and luxury properties thrive while local workers are pushed out of the towns. That drags schools, small craft businesses and train stations into a downward spiral. Conversely, affordable housing can secure local quality of life: busy bakeries, lively markets like Mercat de l'Olivar and neighbourhoods where young and old can stay.

A perspective with urgency

On the Plaça des Capitoli, when the wind comes from the sea and the chestnut leaves rustle, you meet people demanding concrete solutions — not just announcements. What is needed now is a bundle of short-term bridges and long-term planning: more available apartments, faster procedures and a rethink in the use of real estate.

Those affected or looking for help can find support at local advisory centres and municipal social services. And if you notice on your next walk through Palma that a property has been empty for years: it's worth asking. Sometimes change begins with a conversation on the Plaça.