Builders from the Balearic Islands without labor on islands with more than 70,000 unemployed. «We didn’t find any pawns», said this Thursday the president of the Association of Builders of the Balearic Islands, Fanny Albain a press conference in which the employers have taken stock of the activity of the sector during 2022 and have launched a «desperate call» in view of the shortage of both specialized workers and laborers.
Likewise, the builders have transferred the forecasts for this year and have warned of the “impossibility” of building housing at an affordable price on the market due to the lack of land. As they have specified, the Balearic Islands today need between 10,000 and 15,000 workers in the construction sector and not only qualified profiles like months ago, but all kinds of profiles. “We do not understand how a country with three million unemployed, most sectors cannot find workers», added Alba.
In relation to the lack of land, the general director, Sandra Vergerhas criticized the decree law to declassify urbanizable promoted by the Balearic Government presided over by the socialist Francina Armengol and its impact on the lower availability of soil. “It was not the proper way, It has been done behind the back of the sector», he stated. In addition, he added, the housing emergency will force us to redirect the height growth limitationeven in certain areas.
The Builders Association has also warned thate Investment in subsidized housing continues to be “insufficient”since it is only serving to meet the needs of the most vulnerable classes and not of the vast majority of the population, who also have difficulties accessing housing.
In this sense, they have called for a great state pact in the long term and a close public-private collaboration to avoid a total bankruptcy of access to housing. They have also warned of a “cascade” of deserted tenders due to the lack of price updates that, together with the lack of labor and the price of materials, can lead to a “perfect storm.”
Libra of 20222
In relation to last year’s balance of activity, the Association has highlighted that the total investment in construction reached 2,431 million euros with an increase of 13%. Specifically, they have explained, the private grew by 3% with 1,622 million, while the public did so by 38%, with 809 million, having been a pre-election year and the arrival of European Funds.
Europa Press collects that in private investment, the single-family home continues to monopolize the bulk of the game with a budget of 780 million. The area and investment continue to increase due to the use of better materials.
By islands, the decrease suffered in Mallorca stands out in contrast to the increases experienced in Menorca and the Pitiusas. The 6% drop in investment in Mallorca It is mainly due to the drop in housing and healthcare, as the approvals for the Son Dureta reform projects were registered in 2021.
On the contrary, in Menorca investment in housing and tourism projects increased by 40%. In the Pitiusas the growth is 28% driven by housing, health and educational centers. However, they have warned, the figures for 2022 continue to confirm that very little housing is created compared to the existing demand in a housing emergency situation.
Specifically, in the Balearic Islands 3,560 homes have been endorsed, only 3% more than in 2021, and well below the 15,000 that were approved in 2007. Thus, for the last 13 years, the number of 4,000 homes per year has not been reached, when there should be around 7,000.
Builders have underlined the case for Mallorcawith a “major setback» of multi-family housing by 23% and 1% single-family, although multi-family is the most necessary modality due to the lack of affordable housing.
As they have explained, the coexistence in Palma and Calviá of two general plans until the final approval of the new PGOU discourages investment and hinders the development of scheduled developable land. In terms of VPO, the Builders Association has highlighted the Government’s investment in recent years, although it continues to be «insufficient».
Specifically, in 2022 93 VPO were approved by the College of Architects, a decrease of 6%, although according to the Ibavi figures there were 144, which does not have the obligation to endorse them all.
«Not a single public housing development was built for years. In spite of everything, it is insufficient to meet the current demand and it is also directed to the segment with fewer resources of the population”, they have insisted. In this way, they have indicated that public-private collaboration is “essential” to cede public land and make more social housing.
