Canary Islands Housing Crisis: Why Access to a Home Is Becoming a Bigger Challenge
The housing situation in the Canary Islands is back in the spotlight after Cáritas warned that housing problems are affecting around one in three people across the archipelago.
For residents, families and anyone considering a longer stay in Lanzarote, the figures underline an issue that has become increasingly difficult to ignore: finding secure, suitable and affordable housing is not simply about the price of a property. It can also affect household finances, stability and access to essential services.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH HOUSING IN THE CANARY ISLANDS?
Figures presented by Cáritas Diocesana de Tenerife to the Canary Islands Parliament on 28 September 2026 show that housing-related difficulties are particularly significant for families with children.
According to data from the latest FOESSA report cited by Cáritas:
• 22.8% of Canary Islands households with at least one minor are experiencing social exclusion.
• 38.4% of households with two or more minors are in social exclusion.
• The figure reaches 42.3% for single-parent families.
• Among households with five or more members, it is 46.1%.
Cáritas says housing problems affect approximately one in three people in the Canary Islands. The organisation describes housing as a central part of family stability and says insecure accommodation can create uncertainty, disrupt routines and make it harder for families to maintain a stable life.
HOUSING AND THE WIDER COST OF LIVING
The figures do not mean that one in three people in the Canary Islands is homeless. Housing problems cover a much wider range of circumstances, including insecure or inadequate accommodation and difficulties meeting housing costs.
This distinction matters for both residents and visitors. The Canary Islands remain a major tourist destination, but the experience of someone visiting for a week is very different from that of a local household trying to secure a long-term rental.
Cáritas Canarias reported earlier in 2026 that more than 560,000 people in the archipelago were living in some form of social exclusion according to the IX FOESSA Report on Social Exclusion and Development in Spain. The research was based on almost 12,300 households nationally, including 613 households in the Canary Islands.
Cáritas also identified housing and employment as major factors behind exclusion.
WHY IS RENTING IN LANZAROTE SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE?
Lanzarote has experienced strong demand for accommodation from several directions at once. Tourism creates substantial demand for short-term and holiday accommodation, while local residents, workers and families need homes for permanent living.
The result is a housing market where availability and affordability can be major concerns.
A report published earlier this year, based on FOESSA research and information from Cáritas Canarias, estimated that 57,057 households in Lanzarote showed indications of social exclusion. It also reported that 25.5% of the Canary Islands population was experiencing social exclusion, with 9.3% in severe exclusion.
These figures should be read in their proper context: social exclusion is a broader measure than poverty or homelessness, and the Lanzarote figure refers to households showing indicators of exclusion rather than households all being in the same circumstances.
THE IMPACT ON FAMILIES
Families with several children generally need more bedrooms and living space, meaning that a shortage of suitable properties can have a greater effect. Single-parent households can also have fewer financial resources available to absorb rising rent, deposits, utility bills and other household expenses.
Cáritas has highlighted the way housing insecurity can affect children. Unstable accommodation can mean changing address repeatedly, losing established routines and facing additional administrative or social difficulties.
Cáritas' Base 25 project in Tenerife has worked with families at risk of losing their habitual homes, combining social work and legal assistance with mediation and, where necessary, financial support.
HOUSING PRESSURE IS NOT ONLY A LANZAROTE ISSUE
Although Lanzarote has its own particular pressures, the problem extends across the Canary Islands.
Cáritas Diocesana de Canarias reported that during 2025 it assisted 21,372 people and 7,633 households in the province of Las Palmas. It said housing was the principal factor contributing to exclusion, with 35% of families it assisted living in precarious housing conditions and 21% having to share a home.
The organisation also reported that it intervened to prevent 306 families with children from becoming homeless during 2025.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN LANZAROTE?
For permanent residents, the current housing situation makes planning ahead increasingly important. Anyone looking for a long-term rental in Lanzarote may need to allow more time to find a suitable property and should carefully check the full cost of renting, including deposit, utilities and any agency or contractual requirements.
People experiencing genuine financial or housing difficulties may also need to contact their local social services or an established support organisation rather than waiting until a housing problem becomes an emergency.
The housing market can vary considerably between municipalities and neighbourhoods. Prices, availability and the type of accommodation offered can be very different between areas such as Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca, Costa Teguise and smaller inland communities.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TOURISTS?
For tourists visiting Lanzarote, the figures provide useful context rather than a reason for alarm.
Lanzarote continues to welcome visitors to its hotels, apartments, villas, restaurants and attractions. The housing issue is primarily a long-term affordability and availability challenge affecting residents and workers.
LOOKING AHEAD
Cáritas is calling for greater access to public rental housing, simpler procedures for people applying for support and better coordination between public administrations and social organisations.
The organisation has also stressed that improving employment and household incomes alone will not resolve the housing problem if suitable accommodation remains out of reach.
For Lanzarote, the challenge is particularly relevant because the island's economy is closely connected to tourism while its permanent population also needs secure homes, schools, services and employment.
The housing debate is therefore about more than property prices. It is about whether people who live and work in the Canary Islands can find somewhere stable and suitable to call home.
For anyone living in Lanzarote, moving to the island or considering a longer stay, keeping an eye on the local rental market and the wider cost of living is becoming an increasingly important part of planning life here.
