Southern Gran Canaria faces a growing housing challenge. Key municipalities like San Bartolomé de Tirajana show that 10,62% of their homes are already used for tourist accommodation, while in Adeje (Tenerife) the figure reaches 13,35%. This trend reflects a phenomenon widespread across other islands: in Yaiza (Lanzarote) 22% of homes are tourist accommodation and in La Oliva (Fuerteventura) 21,50%.
The increase in tourist accommodation is not an isolated problem, but rather adds to a structural deficit of residential housing in the Canary Islands, marked by the drastic drop in construction since the 2008 financial crisis. In 2022, only 2.782 homes were built in the archipelago, compared to 3.011 in 2021 and 3.103 in 2019. Social housing, essential for the population with fewer resources, has been practically nonexistent: 208 units in 2022, and none in 2020 and 2021.
Currently, the 60.146 homes used for tourist accommodation represent a significant obstacle to replacing primary residences. At an average construction rate of 3.000 homes per year, it would take more than 20 years to replace these units, not counting the additional needs arising from population growth. The rapid growth of tourist accommodation, around 25% annually in some municipalities, equates to approximately 7.000 homes per year diverted from primary residences, further exacerbating the housing deficit.
The problem lies in the fact that most of these homes are not built from scratch, but rather converted from existing residential use. This limits the market's short-term responsiveness and necessitates addressing replacement through the rezoning of over 500 hectares of developable land and complex processes of land transfer, equitable distribution, and urbanization. However, these measures clash with current legislation, which promotes the containment of urban sprawl, the densification of urban centers, and the social and functional integration of cities, avoiding extensive zoning and reducing mobility.
The growth of residential tourism not only affects housing availability but also puts pressure on rental prices, limits access to decent housing, and compromises the livability of neighborhoods. The experience of southern Gran Canaria demonstrates that, without regulatory changes to limit the expansion of tourist accommodation and effective policies for promoting and managing residential land, the supply of permanent housing will remain insufficient, jeopardizing the urban and social sustainability of the island.
