“For most of the agents who are assigned to any of the islands, it means suffering a tremendous stroke of bad luck, since the scarcity and price of housing forces them to sleep in motorhomes, on campsites or even in their own vehicle,” the organisation said in a statement.
For example, in Ibiza there is a trainee airport agent who lives in a van and showers in a gym because he cannot find affordable housing.
“When new personnel arrive, they have to live wherever they can, until, with a lot of luck, they find a flat, in most cases with only one room for around 800€, which they have to share,” explains the IGC, which recalls that Ibiza Town Hall promised to provide housing for the Guardia Civil but failed to do so.
With regard to Mallorca, it also denounces “exorbitant prices” in summer for housing rentals, which produces situations similar to those in Ibiza.
Therefore the IGC is calling for “a significant increase in the insularity supplement, so that they can meet the economic disadvantage they suffer due to the housing problems and the cost of living”.
3 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
I saw this coming a mile away.
Lisa, a similar problem is affecting everybody. Including youngsters, having to live with their parents until they get married, because they can't afford rent...
A similar problem is affecting other vital workers like teachers and nursing staff. The only real long term solution is possibly to do what good hotels and restaurants do - and provide housing for their workforce. With people as important as the police - I’m sure the government could look to proving accommodation. On a shorter term basis - inland rents are far cheaper - places like Manacor, Inca even Sa Pobla. Money in terms of salary won’t solve this long term problem.