The Balearic Islands will promote the construction of housing exclusively for workers in the tourism sector. The Government of Marga Prohens (PP) has presented a legislative modification so that vacant plots of land for hotel and tourist use can be converted into residential plots. The two conditions that the new standard will establish when it is approved are that the new homes are only intended for personnel related to the tourism sector and that the buildings have the typology of community residential use or with complementary common spaces, the so-called coliving or cohousing.
The proposal is a very specific modification of the Tourism law that was approved in the last legislature, with the socialist Francina Armengol as president. The rule in force until now allows the reclassification of these tourist plots for residential use with the condition that the homes are VPO. No specific mention is made of future tenants. The modification presented by the new Government is much more specific and specifically indicates that the resulting homes must be to provide accommodation for the employed and management staff of the tourism company.
The modification of the regulations seeks to obtain housing for hospitality workers, since the price of rents, completely skyrocketing in the Islands, has caused hiring problems during the last two seasons. Tourism entrepreneurs cannot find personnel because it does not pay off for workers to travel to the archipelago temporarily if they then have to pay an exorbitant price for the price of housing.
Several tourism entrepreneurs have begun to offer accommodation to their employees in exchange for part of the salary, but even this could not compensate for the lack of workers in the last summer season. Many restaurants could not provide service throughout the day due to lack of staff, according to the president of the restaurant association in Mallorca, Francisco Robledo.
The Balearic Islands are the community with the highest rental price in all of Spain on average, according to all real estate portals. In Palma it is practically impossible to find an apartment for less than 1,000 euros per month. Real estate agents highlight that the average price to rent a home in the Balearic Islands is 16.2 euros per square meter per month, that is, about 1,500 euros per month for a 90-meter apartment, but in Ibiza and Formentera Prices are completely skyrocketing and the lack of personnel no longer only affects the hospitality industry but also extends to other basic jobs such as the educational and health sectors.
The new regulations that Marga Prohens has already presented also aims to address this problem and in the same proposal that modifies the tourism law, another provision is included to subsidize 400 euros for health and education workers who have to move to Ibiza and Formentera to who live temporarily in hotels or vacation homes as an alternative to the lack of affordable housing.
The Balearic Government foresees the possibility of establishing agreements with tourist accommodation to join this plan and provide accommodation for these employees, but the measure is viewed with skepticism by the tourism sector. Nor do hospitality workers believe that the proposal to build specific housing for them will end the lack of staff during the high season.
The secretary of UGT Hospitality Union Action, José García, describes the proposal presented by Marga Prohens' team as an “occurrence” and assures that it raises more questions than answers. García believes that it is the responsibility of hoteliers to offer the minimum salary conditions to avoid having hiring problems during the summer months like those seen in recent years.
