On the Spanish island of Lanzarote, a crisis is brewing as locals struggle to find affordable housing amidst a booming tourism industry.

Estela, a 70-year-old kitchen assistant at a hotel, epitomises the harsh reality faced by many residents as she resides in an abandoned housing estate in Playa Blanca.

“I know it looks dangerous, but it’s very quiet here,” Estela told Spanish newspaper El Diario from her humble abode, constructed from grey block walls with no trace of luxury.

Reflecting on her predicament, she said: “Everything is holiday homes. When an offer appears, it’s expensive and temporary.”

Estela’s journey into squatting began out of sheer necessity due to the exorbitant prices and scarcity of permanent housing options. Despite working diligently, recent health issues have added to her woes, leaving her on sick leave with uncertainty looming over her future.

Attempting to transform her makeshift dwelling into a semblance of home, Estela’s resilience is evident. Yet, the toll on her mental well-being is palpable as she recounts the humiliation of being labelled a squatter.

“It hurts me… I’ve always lived in flats, not luxurious because I’m not wealthy, but where I had a good bathroom and electricity,” she said.

The housing crisis isn’t confined to Estela’s plight; it extends to approximately 60 families facing similar circumstances in the same residential area.

Despite investing their earnings to improve their living conditions, they await an inevitable eviction, hoping for a fair resolution.

Amid escalating tensions, a demonstration under the banner ‘The Canary Islands have a limit’ has been scheduled, demanding fundamental changes to the tourism model. Environmental concerns, coupled with socio-economic disparities exacerbated by tourism, underscore the urgency for policy reform.