San Sebastián de La Gomera runs out of flats: the housing shortage hits public-sector and service workers

Finding a rental flat in San Sebastián de La Gomera has become nearly impossible. The island capital, with around 9,000 residents, is home to much of the island's public-sector and service employment, but its available housing stock has not grown at the same pace. According to property portals, long-term rental supply in the municipality is often limited to fewer than ten active listings, a figure industry sources describe as unusual even for a small island.

Healthcare staff and teachers hit hardest

The problem hits hardest among workers posted to the island: staff at the island hospital, teachers at local schools, and employees of the regional government and the island council. Many of them accept a posting without having sorted out housing and end up in shared rooms, off-season holiday flats, or even living in neighbouring municipalities such as Hermigua or Playa de Santiago, taking on daily commutes along mountain roads.

Industry sources say the turnover among these professionals, who typically stay on the island for one or two school years, discourages landlords from signing long leases, feeding a vicious circle of distrust and scarcity.

Prices on a par with provincial capitals

The scarcity is directly reflected in prices. The few flats that do come onto the market are advertised at more than 700 euros a month for two bedrooms, figures comparable to those in mid-range neighbourhoods of Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, even though average wages on the island are lower. In the sales market, Istac and portal data point to cumulative increases of around 30% over five years in the capital municipality.

Alongside the pressure from public-sector employment comes competition from holiday lets, which offer landlords higher returns with fewer commitments, plus the weight of homes left empty or used only a few weeks a year.

Scarce land, slow-moving developments

The town of San Sebastián, hemmed in by ravines, has little land available for development, and the subsidised housing schemes announced in recent years are progressing slowly. The town hall and the La Gomera Island Council (Cabildo) have proposed refurbishing empty properties and building public housing on municipal plots, but the industry warns that, without a faster pace of delivery, the capital will keep driving away the very workers who keep its essential services running.