Pyrenees Housing Groups Rally Against Second Homes and Tourist Rentals
Groups including Pirineu Viu protest the housing crisis fueled by second homes and seasonal rentals that displace locals in Catalonia's Pyrenees. They call for urgent regulations and public housing expansion to retain communities.
Key Points
- Protests by Pirineu Viu, COSHAC, and Sindicat de Llogateres on Oct 8 at 7pm in Plaça dels Oms and Plaça de la Lira.
- Demand urgent action against second homes, tourist flats, and seasonal lets reducing local housing.
- Spokesperson notes plenty of homes but few for living, causing evictions and staff shortages.
- Call for rental controls, more public housing, and repurposing properties for residents.
Pirineu Viu, the Confederació Sindical d’Habitatge de Catalunya (COSHAC), and the Sindicat de Llogateres are staging protests on Thursday, October 8, at 7pm in La Seu d’Urgell’s Plaça dels Oms and Ripoll’s Plaça de la Lira. The gatherings seek urgent action on the Pyrenees housing crisis, driven by second homes, tourist flats, and seasonal lets that shrink options for permanent residents.
The static demonstrations in the Alt Urgell capital and Ripoll are set to proceed without blocking roads or causing significant traffic issues. Organisers are pushing the “Habitatge digne per un Pirineu viu” campaign to bring housing activism from elsewhere in Catalonia to mountain communities, where such properties restrict access for young people, families, and local workers.
Pirineu Viu spokesperson Arnau Corberó pointed to an abundance of homes overall but a dwindling supply for everyday living. “Al Pirineu hi ha moltes cases; el problema és que cada vegada n’hi ha menys per viure-hi,” he said, underscoring how non-renewed leases and ski-season priorities fuel evictions and deter essential staff like teachers, doctors, and shepherds from staying in the area.
The coalition calls for strict controls on seasonal rentals, expanded public housing stock, and steps to repurpose tourist and second homes for locals. They also encourage wider involvement to fuel a potential housing rights strike.
Corberó stressed collective action as vital to uphold housing rights and sustain mountain valleys and towns.
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