Second Homes in San Miguel Fuel Housing Row

The San Miguel de Salinas Residents’ Association has called for action over access to affordable housing, warning that more than half the municipality’s properties are not used as permanent homes.

The group says the growing number of second homes and investment properties contrasts with the difficulties facing young people and working families trying to buy or rent somewhere to live.

It has announced its support for the general strike called for November 11 and encouraged residents to participate, linking housing costs with wages and working conditions.

“In San Miguel de Salinas, there’s no shortage of housing — there’s a shortage of housing for those of us who live here,” the association said.

Citing figures from the National Statistics Institute’s 2021 census, the association lists a population of 7,177, with 2,869 households and a total housing stock of 6,101 properties.

Of those homes, 2,869 were recorded as primary residences, including just 462 rented properties. The association describes approximately 3,250 others as second homes or investment properties.

It argues that these figures expose a mismatch between the number of properties available in the municipality and the needs of people who live there throughout the year.

The group also raised concerns about the SUS-A development area, known as Los Invernaderos, where construction is under way.

According to its estimates, the development could eventually add around 3,000 homes, although the final number would depend on the size of the properties built.

The association says the developments are aimed largely at the tourist and second-home market, with apartments being advertised from €250,000 — prices it considers beyond the reach of many existing residents.

In its view, building more properties at these prices will do little to help local people secure their first home or find an affordable long-term rental.

The group warns that rising prices and a limited rental supply could gradually push established residents out of the town. It argues that housing pressure is not confined to major cities or coastal resorts, but also affects nearby inland communities.

It also says residential growth increases demand for healthcare, education and other public services, which must receive sufficient resources to meet residents’ needs.

The association is calling for planning policies that give greater priority to affordable permanent housing, rather than focusing primarily on investment returns.

Its message is that development should provide “homes for living, not as a business”.

Explaining its support for the November 11 strike, the group said housing and pay could not be treated as separate problems.

Without decent wages and affordable housing, it argued, many residents struggle to secure even a rented home, let alone buy a property of their own.

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