Spain
CIS poll shows broad support for intervention in the housing market
A dedicated CIS public research institute poll shows that 86% of citizens are very or fairly concerned about housing and that a large majority support intervening in the market as much as necessary. The survey also records support for freezing rents, limiting tourist flats and raising taxes on large landlords, as well as signs of hardship: 7.5% share a flat with non-relatives, 13% of those sharing a home sleep in a room with someone who is not their partner, and two in ten have moved because they could not afford housing.
By Damián Ortells ·
The CIS housing barometer shows that housing worries 86% of the public either a lot or quite a lot, and that a broad majority supports intervening in the market as much as necessary. It also records support for freezing rents, limiting tourist flats and raising taxes on large landlords. Among the difficulties identified, 7.5% share a flat with non-relatives, 13% of those sharing a home sleep in a room with someone who is not their partner, and two in ten have moved because they could not afford their housing.
The CIS is the public body that carries out opinion surveys in Spain. Its barometers measure social perceptions and political preferences, but they do not pass laws or have direct legal effects. Intervention in the housing market can include rent limits, regulation of tourist uses, taxation or more protected housing.
For owners and tenants, the result shows that housing remains at the centre of public debate. It does not change contracts or taxes by itself, but it may influence the political agenda.