How does the new Oxfam study affect the poverty figures?
The NGO Oxfam Intermón published the study “When work is not enough: the impact of housing costs on poverty among people in work” on Monday evening. It shows that 104,527 people in work on the Canary Islands already live below the poverty line before housing costs are deducted.
After paying rent or a mortgage, that figure rises to 130,859 people. In other words, 26,332 people on the islands fall into poverty only because of the cost of keeping a roof over their head.
The poverty rate among people in work climbs by almost three percentage points to 14.71%. Nationwide, a further 770,000 people in work fall below the poverty line after housing costs are deducted.
Alejandro García-Gil, head of housing, employment and social policy at Oxfam Intermón, describes the situation like this: “People who work and can just about afford the rent each month, but who still lack the income needed for a dignified life.”
Why are tenants hit especially hard?
The Oxfam Intermón analysis shows big differences between owners and tenants. Among property owners with a mortgage, the share of workers in poverty rises from 6.14% to 8.80%.
On the open rental market, the picture is far more dramatic. After paying rent, the poverty rate among workers shoots up from 16.21% to 27.70% – a rise of 11.49 percentage points.
Put another way, one in four workers who rents on the Canary Islands lives in poverty. Renting at current market prices pushes the poverty rate up far more sharply than a mortgage does.
The Canarias7 figures confirm the trend. Average monthly rent spending rose from 339 euros in 2014 to 588 euros in 2025 – an increase of 73.5%.
What do housing costs mean for residents and expats?
For residents, foreign workers and visitors, the report sets out no new binding rule and no new application deadline. The figures describe the social situation, but change neither tenancy agreements nor residence or visitor rules.
According to Cáritas, single women with children are particularly at risk. Seven out of ten supported families had a non-European nationality.
In the province of Las Palmas, Cáritas supported a total of 1,604 homeless people and 306 families at risk of losing their home in 2025. Up to and including September 2026, a further 1,038 homeless people and 256 families with problems keeping their home were added.
Among the people without a home or at risk of losing one supported by Cáritas in 2025, 23% were in employment. That underlines the point: a job alone no longer guarantees a home on Gran Canaria.
What help is available?
According to the Gobierno de Canarias, the Canarias Pro Hogar programme provides rent subsidies of up to 900 euros per family per month. A further 200 euros is possible for maintenance, insurance, basic utilities or internet.
The cited report does not, however, give full access requirements or a concrete application deadline. No Gran Canaria-specific implementation is described either.
For young people up to and including the age of 35, the Bono Alquiler Joven 2025 call provides a subsidy of 250 euros per month. That amounts to 6,000 euros over 24 months.
The Canary Islands government also approved Decreto ley 3/2025 in April 2025 to speed up building permits. It creates affordable subsidised housing under private ownership with rent caps.
What happens next on the Canary Islands?
A general strike initiative announced for 11 November 2026 by trade unions and housing organisations was politically disputed at the time of reporting. Employers' associations questioned its legal classification.
According to Canarias7, it was unclear whether the strike would actually take place.
Ley 6/2025, published at the end of 2025, reorganises the tourist use of housing. New homes are generally not to be used for tourism for ten years.
The government hopes this will increase the long-term rental supply. Whether it noticeably lowers prices on Gran Canaria remains to be seen.