“We’re not a settlement, we’re a neighbourhood,” says Begoña Iglesias, spokesperson for the residents of the Son Hugo caravan site, which continues to attract new arrivals—a clear sign of the housing crisis affecting the municipality. After years living in municipal car parks, the residents plan to formally establish a community association by the end of this month.
Iglesias is expected to become chair of the community, which will immediately start drafting rules for the site, now almost at full capacity. More than 150 people live there, including around a dozen children. “Some are children of separated parents and move between homes depending on custody arrangements,” Iglesias explains.
Meanwhile, Iglesias has joined forces with Javier Gómez, another prominent figure among Palma’s caravan residents, who has also recently moved to Son Hugo and will serve as treasurer of the new community. Iglesias points out that “forming a residents’ association gives us more rights as residents. Emaya (the municipal cleaning service) will be coming soon, and we’ll also clear weeds ourselves using a brush cutter.”
In recent months, Son Hugo has become so popular that “there are barely a couple of spaces left.” Many residents are former tenants who can no longer keep up with soaring rents, which have reached €1,500 for a two-bedroom flat.
Others have moved from Son Güells, another area in Palma that used to host caravans. That site is now surrounded by plots earmarked for development, with new Pryconsa apartment blocks already under construction. According to some residents, “a few problematic individuals have also moved into the Son Güells area,” prompting long-standing residents to relocate to Son Hugo—or even to Marratxi—making it a growing community in the face of a worsening housing shortage.