Experts analyze the housing crisis in the Balearic Islands and offer solutions in a key debate.

Bajo el título “Vivienda en Baleares: Actualidad y Perspectivas”, se celebró en el Col·legi d’Advocats de Palma un intenso debate sobre la grave problemática del acceso a la vivienda en las Islas Baleares. En un evento moderado por Hans Lenz, presidente de la Asociación Balear Inmobiliaria Nacional e Internacional (ABINI), el director general de Vivienda y Arquitectura, varios expertos y altos cargos del sector expusieron sus puntos de vista y propusieron posibles soluciones para aliviar la crisis habitacional que afecta al archipiélago.

The debate began with an encouraging message from Lenz: “It is very hard to see between five and eight news stories daily about the housing crisis in the Balearic Islands, today we want to bring clarity and some hope on this issue.” With these words, he opened the discussion table in front of a diverse audience interested in the issue facing the archipelago.

José Francisco Reynés, Director General of Housing and Architecture for the Govern, outlined the main issues exacerbating the housing crisis in the region: the impact of tourism, high production costs, and gentrification. He also presented a thorough analysis and the Govern’s plans to mitigate this situation, including an emergency plan and the construction of approximately 7,000 new homes in the first phase.

Luis Alfonso de León, president of the Official College of Quantity Surveyors and Technical Architects of Mallorca (COAATMCA), emphasized the current impossibility of accessing housing, whether for purchase or rent. “Fifty-seven percent of workers in Spain earn less than 1,000 euros. A person has to allocate 35% of their salary to rent. What can we rent in Mallorca for 350 euros?” De León stated, highlighting the mismatch between citizens’ incomes and market prices.

Hans Lenz also shared his perspective, emphasizing that “housing is the number one problem in the Islands” and called for real solutions beyond the “media noise.” He proposed the creation of subsidies to help young people save, gain access to home ownership, and eventually acquire larger properties in the future. Lenz also highlighted the housing policy being implemented by the Govern regarding rentals: “Providing guarantees to landlords through a secure rental system, ensuring they will be paid, while also giving tenants a discount on the rental price, is not the sole solution but will help ease the tension.”

The debate intensified when De León suggested the possibility of building on rural land as an option to increase the housing supply. However, Bernat Nadal, Dean of the Official College of Architects of the Balearic Islands (COAIB), strongly rejected this idea, stating, “We must not consume more rural land; this is a debate that needs to be put to rest.” Nadal added that patience is required to address the housing issue, as he estimates it will take more than 20 years to overcome.

The debate concluded with a critical statement from Luis Martín, president of the Association of Real Estate Developers of the Balearic Islands (PROINBA), who accused politicians of failing to act with sufficient diligence over the past 15 years to address the housing crisis.

This debate, in which all participants called on authorities to detach housing from any political ideology, highlights the urgency of finding viable solutions for housing access in the Balearic Islands—a matter that profoundly impacts the lives of its residents and demands collaboration from all stakeholders involved.