The education unions have raised concerns over the serious situation faced by hundreds of teachers in the Canary Islands who are compelled to decline job offers due to the lack of access to housing rentals, particularly when having to travel between islands to fill vacancies.
The first affected are the temporary teachers with appointments for the entire academic year. This issue worsens with subsequent appointments for short-term positions, especially in areas of southern Tenerife and Gran Canaria, as well as the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. There are significant challenges in finding accommodation, exacerbated by the rising demand for holiday rentals as an alternative to traditional tourism, leading to a substantial increase in rental costs. Prices can approach 50% of a temporary teacher’s salary, while rental options are nearly non-existent on islands like El Hierro or in rural areas.
Challenges in Securing Housing
Pedro Crespo, president of ANPE in the Canary Islands, acknowledges that “this is a very complicated issue” affecting society as a whole, and “it does not appear to have an easy solution”. He states, “We are facing numerous difficulties. The greatest challenges arise with appointments for one, two, or three weeks, where the rental costs outweigh the salary received, leading many to decline positions,” especially if the appointments require “exorbitant rents or relocating between islands with no assurance of continuity.” Consequently, teachers, particularly those in temporary roles, “choose to decline offers,” fearing long-term contracts or being trapped in expensive short-term rentals with constant changes in accommodation,” Crespo explains. Moreover, this situation “harms educational quality”, as “the vacancy takes time to fill, leaving students without a teacher for longer than desired”.
Proposed Short-Term Solutions
In light of this situation, ANPE Canarias proposes short-term measures such as “emulating the Balearic Islands, where a housing supplement has been created based on the island of appointment.” This would assist in addressing the challenges of finding reasonably priced housing. Currently, teaching staff “receive only the residency allowance” granted to public employees by the General State Administration in the Canary Islands due to the costs associated with being on an island.
Another proposed measure involves the “use of school residences, provided there are vacant spots” that are unoccupied by students. “We are not talking about reserving places for teachers, but rather allowing these vacant spaces to be used when a teacher residing on another island is appointed for less than 21 days.” It is noted that interim teachers who need to move to other islands “receive their appointment and must be at their destination the next day,” often not knowing how long they will be working because “the duration of the substitution is frequently extended.”
Community Support and Government Action
Additionally, unions like STEC, online platforms, and social media groups are providing a housing search service for teachers in the Canary Islands. The unions have urged the Government of the Canary Islands to “adopt urgent measures” to ensure access to housing and decent conditions for teachers who need to travel between islands to fill positions. They suggest reinstating the “public housing programme for teachers,” which previously included properties for educators in many municipalities, now lying vacant. Alternatively, they propose measures to restrict interim teachers to working only in their islands of residence, though this would create complications in filling vacancies in smaller islands.
The unions have also proposed that the Government of the Canary Islands enter into agreements with the island councils to facilitate housing access, not only for teachers but also for healthcare professionals, civil servants, and other key workers. Furthermore, they insist on the need for regulation of holiday rentals to preserve housing for residents.
The Ministry of Education acknowledges the difficulties in finding housing solutions for staff moving between islands. It cannot provide a solution “due to a lack of available housing” and is reluctant to “take on such a complex responsibility.”
