Ángel González, 54, is a builder earning around 1,000 euros a month, but he cannot afford an apartment in Málaga. He has lived in an old caravan since 2012, and now the Town Hall has announced the eviction of his camp.
Ángel González, a 54-year-old from Málaga who works as a builder, has been living in an old caravan on a plot of land on Camino de la Térmica in Málaga city since 2012. Although his work situation has improved, his salary as a thousand-euro earner is not enough to rent a home in the city, where prices have skyrocketed. Now, the Town Hall of Málaga has announced that it wants to evict the camp where he and over a hundred people live in precarious conditions.
"I earn a thousand euros. What apartment am I going to pay for with that money?" Ángel asks in statements to El País. He has become the spokesperson for the residents of the settlement, who fear losing their homes if the council carries out its plan. The measure directly affects those who already live on the edge, in a city where the average rent exceeds 900 euros.
The Town Hall cites health and coexistence issues
The Town Hall of Málaga has issued a statement justifying the decision due to the "health, waste management, and coexistence problems" affecting the area, at the request of the neighbourhood associations of Sacaba and Parque Litoral. According to the council, the private plot accumulates discharges of wastewater in the rainwater channels that flow into the sea, rubbish and belongings on the edges of the paths, night bonfires that increase the risk of fires, and noise disturbances.
"The Local Police have already informed the people living there that they must remove their vehicles for cleaning work," the statement notes. Afterwards, physical barriers will be installed to prevent vehicle access to the plot. The measure has been coordinated with the landowner, who is collaborating with the Town Hall.
For the camp residents, the news represents a direct threat to their only housing option. "We have nowhere to go," laments Ángel, who explains that many of his neighbours also work but cannot afford rent due to current prices. The housing crisis in Málaga, one of the most expensive cities in Andalucía, leaves these workers in limbo: they earn too much to qualify for social aid but not enough for decent housing.
A conflict reflecting the housing emergency in Málaga
Ángel's case is not isolated. In Málaga city and its metropolitan area, rental prices have risen by more than 30% in the last five years, according to data from the real estate portal Idealista. Meanwhile, average salaries remain stagnant at around 1,200 euros per month. This gap has multiplied the number of caravan and shack settlements on the outskirts of the city.
The Town Hall defends its actions as a necessary measure to ensure health and safety in the area. However, social groups and camp residents criticise that the solution is eviction without offering housing alternatives. "They are kicking us out of here, but they are not giving us any options," denounces Ángel, who claims that many of the residents have stable jobs but cannot afford rent.
The municipal decision has reopened the debate on the housing emergency in the city. Meanwhile, those affected are waiting for a meeting with social services to seek a solution. For now, the eviction date has not been set, but the Local Police have already begun notifying the occupants. For Ángel and his neighbours, the uncertainty is total: "We don’t know what’s going to happen. We just want a place to live."
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