Spanish Teacher in Ireland Exposes Housing Crisis: Why Foreigners Buy While Locals Struggle

Housing Market Disparity: Irish Teacher Highlights Spain's Affordability Crisis Dublin, Ireland – A Spanish teacher living in Ireland, Alejandro Mesa, has drawn attention to a growing economic disparity in Spain's housing market, observing how many of his students' families in Ireland are able to afford properties in both countries, including prime locations in Spain, while young Spaniards struggle to access affordable housing. Mesa, who teaches in Ireland, shared a recent encounter with a student's parent who casually mentioned owning a holiday home in Alicante, Spain, where they plan to vacation. This conversation prompted Mesa to reflect on a broader trend he's noticed among his students' families, many of whom, despite holding what he describes as 'normal, qualified jobs,' possess properties in desirable Spanish locales such as Alicante, Málaga, and the Canary Islands. "It's clear something is failing here," Mesa stated in a recent video, expressing concern that "people with normal jobs can afford to buy a house here [in Ireland], which costs half a million or 400,000 euros, and also buy houses in the most expensive areas of Spain." He highlighted that these are not individuals from elite backgrounds but average working families. Mesa presented data to underscore his point, citing reports indicating that the proportion of young people in Spain able to purchase a home has halved since 2007. Furthermore, he noted that in some Spanish provinces, nearly half of all property purchases are made by foreigners, contributing to rising rental and property prices. "This is causing rents to skyrocket, and housing prices to soar," Mesa emphasized. He argued that the combination of low salaries in Spain and the impact of inflation has eroded the purchasing power of Spanish citizens, making it easier for Europeans with higher wages to acquire property in Spain, sometimes for investment purposes, renting them out when not in use. Mesa concluded by proposing two potential solutions: a significant increase in salaries or stricter regulation of housing and rental prices in Spain. He personally believes both measures are necessary. The teacher also shared his own struggle, revealing that he and his partner moved to Ireland with the explicit goal of saving enough money to buy an apartment in Spain. "I, with my degree and my master's, am here cleaning the butts of families who are buying apartments in Spain," he remarked, highlighting the personal frustration many young, educated Spaniards face in their home country's current economic climate.

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