Living in Madrid has become an unattainable luxury for many. Rental and purchase prices continue to climb, while the regional government, led by Díaz Ayuso, appears to disregard the plight of its citizens, allegedly legislating in favor of large property owners and investment funds. This situation is not merely an inconvenience; it represents a profound social injustice that threatens the future of working-class individuals and exacerbates inequalities.
The Unbearable Weight of Housing Costs
Access to housing has always been a challenge for the working class, but it has now morphed into an impossible mission, despite being enshrined as a right in the Constitution. A fundamental objective should be to ensure that housing costs do not exceed 30% of one’s salary. However, current data paints a grim picture:
- 5,000 people are homeless.
- 2,000 families face eviction without alternative housing solutions, many due to changes in property use rather than non-payment.
- Young people remain at home until their 30s, with independence often limited to a shared room.
These figures underscore a pervasive sense of anguish and frustration, mortgaging the future of working individuals. This social injustice, fueled by unchecked speculation and governments that seemingly protect usurers, pits citizens against each other, diverting attention from the true origins of the problem.
A Model of Uncontrolled Urban Development
CC OO de Madrid, as a socio-political union, has consistently challenged Madrid’s deeply unequal and unbalanced territorial model. This ‘developmentalist’ urban model, sponsored by the regional government, is characterized by the unlimited use of land as an exclusively economic and speculative asset. It is crucial to remember that this urban ideology contributed significantly to the 2008 economic crisis.
The difficulties in accessing housing have prompted various actions, including presenting proposals and allegations to prevent regulatory deregulation, launching campaigns to raise awareness, and integrating into Habitat24, which will culminate in a major mobilization on April 24th in Madrid.
Proposals for a Just Housing Policy
Numerous proposals have been put forward across various participatory forums. Among the most critical are:
- Increasing the housing supply: This includes not only constructing public housing but also reclaiming residential properties that have been diverted from the market, such as tourist rentals, temporary rentals, and vacant homes.
- Revising rental legislation: Striking a balance between the rights of landlords and tenants is essential.
- Intervening in housing prices: The liberal mantra of market adjustment through supply and demand has proven ineffective and requires direct intervention.
It is no coincidence that the housing crisis is a central demand for May Day, nor that housing proposals are integrated into CC OO’s ‘From Answers to Action’ campaign, which will arrive in Madrid on May 27th.
The Fight for a Fundamental Right
We cannot continue to allow housing to be a business while thousands of families struggle to make ends meet. We cannot accept the destruction of our territory and neighborhoods for the sake of speculation. We cannot resign ourselves to seeing our labor gains eroded by an unregulated market.
The upcoming Sunday demonstration will serve as a rallying point to demand a future where housing is a guaranteed right, not a commodity. A future where public services serve the people, not corporate profits, and where salary increases are not consumed by abusive rents.
We cannot allow housing to cost us our lives.
Paloma López Bermejo is the general secretary of CC OO de Madrid.
