Pau Valverde (Fuerteventura Tenants’ Union): “If the PP–Vox alliance wins, the housing situation will get much worse”

Citizen mobilisation will be essential to changing housing policy, whoever is in government. That is the view of Pau Valverde, of the Fuerteventura Tenants’ Union, in an interview with La Voz de Fuerteventura. Valverde says that whoever wins the next general election, called for 29 November, “is not going to solve the problem”. Things could even get worse, Valverde warns: “If the PP–Vox alliance wins, the housing situation will get worse, much worse.”

Valverde is therefore calling for social mobilisation, arguing that “only people’s mobilisation, people taking to the streets to fight, will bring about change”.

The grassroots union has called not only for a general strike on 11 November but also for a demonstration in Fuerteventura, outside the Island Directorate of the General State Administration in Puerto del Rosario, at 11:00.

Under the slogan “Decent housing, decent work, a decent life”, the demonstration follows years of work by the housing movement, Valverde explains. That work has gathered pace and gained visibility in recent weeks following Mari Carmen’s eviction and subsequent death.

Just 2% of rental housing is public

Pau Valverde says there are “more than enough” reasons to join the 11 November strike, given the difficulties people face in finding a home and the inadequate response from the authorities.

Among the union’s demands of central government are intervention in the property market and the allocation of Sareb properties to municipal public management, with affordable rents and guarantees that they remain in the public housing stock. “Public housing for ever,” Valverde sums up. The union also supports banning vulture funds from buying properties.

Valverde, who is also an artisan, stresses that nationally “just 2% of rental housing is public, compared with 20% in France and 40% in the Netherlands”.

Asked about concerns among small landlords, Valverde clarifies that the Tenants’ Union has no problem with people who own one or two homes and rent them out to supplement their income. The issue, Valverde says, is when people with more properties use them for speculation.

The union’s main demand of the Canary Islands Government is the designation of stressed housing areas.

Valverde is urging the regional government to use its powers to intervene in the market and expand public housing. Valverde questions the management of the Canary Islands Housing Institute, which “doesn’t even know how many homes it is responsible for”, and criticises what Valverde describes as the various administrations’ failure to fulfil their duties.

Valverde is clear about the impact of holiday lets on the supply of homes for residents: taking properties out of the long-term rental market drives residents out and pushes up prices. “Housing cannot be a business,” Valverde insists, pointing out that, for example, in municipalities such as La Oliva, “half of the homes available to rent are holiday homes, tourist accommodation”.

“Just 2% of rental housing is public, compared with 20% in France and 40% in the Netherlands.”

Criticism of CCOO and UGT

Pau Valverde also makes no secret of the union’s criticism of CCOO and UGT, which have decided to organise their own demonstration in Fuerteventura on 29 November, at 17:30, rather than join the housing movement’s demonstration at 11:00.

Valverde says both organisations were invited but chose to organise their own events, seeking to “take credit for the work we have done over the years”.

Valverde also said that Comisiones Obreras, UGT and other unions “have been forced to jump on the bandwagon of this call”, which has been launched by tenants’ unions across Spain and other housing organisations.

“Not at any of the demonstrations we have held in Fuerteventura or elsewhere have Comisiones Obreras and UGT turned up to say: ‘We’re here, we support you and we’re with you, standing behind you,’” Valverde said.

“Concern” about a PP–Vox alliance

On the prospects for the 29 November election, Valverde voiced concern about a possible PP–Vox government. “We obviously hope the PP–Vox alliance doesn’t win, because then the housing situation will get worse, much worse.”

Valverde extends that warning to pensions, healthcare and education. They, Valverde argues, defend the interests of big capital, which only wants to accumulate wealth and does not care whether people die or are left living on the street.

Valverde also questions the actions of Pedro Sánchez’s government and doubts that the ballot box alone can resolve the housing emergency. “Personally, I have a feeling that whoever wins, the housing situation won’t be resolved in the way we would like,” Valverde says.

That is why Valverde is calling for people to organise and keep up the protests.

Valverde recalls that today’s labour and social rights were won through collective pressure, and ends with a call to mobilise: “We only achieve things by fighting,” Valverde concludes.