Housing Rights Protests Spread Across Basque Country with Bilbao Camp

• Protesters have set up camp in front of the Arriaga Theatre in Bilbao to demand the right to decent housing.
• The movement, inspired by recent protests in Madrid, is gaining momentum across several Spanish cities.
• Participants remain committed to staying indefinitely until concrete protective housing policies are implemented.

Housing Crisis Drivers

• Average rent for new contracts in Bilbao has exceeded 1,000 euros for the first time.
• Basque regional government policies have been criticized for favoring private capital over social housing needs.
• Public housing stock in the region remains low, accounting for only 15% of total rented dwellings.

Protests and Mobilization

• Activists are targeting major property holders, investment funds, and banks while calling for universal public housing.
• The Basque Country Housing Union Network and the Socialist Housing Union have organized coordinated demonstrations across Bilbao, Donostia, Iruñea, and Gasteiz.
• The labor union LAB has scheduled further protests for the first weekend of October, focusing on stopping the profit-driven housing business and addressing exploitation by firms like Testa Homes and Adalquiler.