San Sebastian

San Sebastián, a popular tourist city in the Basque Country, is grappling with a severe housing crisis. The city boasts the highest house prices in Spain, with an average cost of €5,191 per square meter, making it unaffordable for many residents. Public housing accounts for less than 2% of all dwellings, exacerbating the issue. The city's rental market is small, with only 23% of households renting, a trend common in Spain where homeownership is heavily favored by policy.

The housing crisis is driven by gentrification and mass tourism, which have led to a shift from residential to tourist-oriented housing. This has resulted in the displacement of long-term residents, particularly young people and low-income families. To address this, EH Bildu's candidate for mayor, Juan Karlos Izagirre, advocates for increasing public rental housing at various price points to compete with private landlords and vulture funds.

The city aims to build more public housing and rehabilitate neighborhoods to make housing more affordable and sustainable. This includes investing in flood prevention and neighborhood rehabilitation projects, as well as promoting public rental housing at different price levels to cater to a broader range of incomes.