The Palma federation of residents associations is the latest to join a nationwide confederation of residents associations that is presenting a common strategy to address housing problems.
The federation is therefore an adherent to the Barcelona Declaration, which is demanding the application of the national housing law, the regulation of seasonal and tourist rentals, an increase to the number of protected homes (the VPO social housing), and an end to the Golden Visa, the mechanism by which foreigners are granted residency if they purchase homes valued at over 500,000 euros.
The president of the federation, Maribel Alcázar, insists that there must be "an end to the market" which has created serious problems for renting in the whole of the city. Even in Son Gotleu, she notes, 1,000 euros are being demanded for apartments in a poor condition, while there are also illegal tourist rentals.
"When the problem spreads to the whole of the city, we have to put the brakes on and end speculation by foreigners who don't give a damn about residents and then offer places to tourists, for which they charge 200 euros a night. This removes affordable housing from the market.
"Limitations must be introduced and renting must be for citizens' living spaces. The market does not regulate itself. We are seeing it right now. Is housing a right or a commodity? We need institutions that protect the right to access housing."
As well as Palma, the nationwide confederation has associations from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza, Malaga, Cordoba, Murcia, Valladolid, Gijón, Seville, Vigo, A Coruña, Bilbao and Elche plus Menorca.