Alicante housing advocates protest surge in tourism and lack of affordable homes

• Around 500 people demonstrated in Alicante's Plaza de la Montanyeta to demand access to water, electricity, and housing.
• The protest, organized by the Sindicat de Vivenda de Carolines and the Sindicat de la Zona Norte, criticized the negative impact of mass tourism on residential housing availability.
• Activists labeled the government's latest housing decree as insufficient, arguing it fails to cap rents or effectively prevent evictions of vulnerable citizens.

Key Issues and Concerns

• Tourism Pressure: Residents are being displaced as property owners convert residential units into tourist rentals, leading to higher costs and fewer options for locals.
• Economic Burden: In the Zona Norte, families are spending up to 70% of their income on rent for modest apartments, while the province reports approximately 200,000 vacant properties.
• Aggressive Tactics: Protesters condemned the use of "eviction firms" (empresas de desocupación) that utilize intimidation and violent tactics against tenants.
• Police Activity: Demonstrators criticized local authorities for issuing fines to activists attempting to prevent evictions.

Next Steps

• Activists are advocating for a rent strike to challenge the commodification of housing.
• A specific eviction is scheduled for October 8 at Calle Ágata 8, affecting a family with three minors, and supporters have been mobilized to intervene.