Spain’s housing emergency has pushed public trust in politicians to a breaking point. While more people back the right to manage the crisis, almost a quarter trust no party at all. The divide runs deeper than party lines.
Spain’s housing crisis has become the country’s leading concern, but nearly one in four Spaniards, 23%, say they trust no party to address it. The crisis came into sharp focus after 87-year-old Maricarmen lost her home; within days, protesters had set up camp in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol.
For nearly half the country, nothing matters more right now: housing has jumped to the top of the national agenda. A Sigma Dos poll for EL MUNDO found that 47.9% of Spaniards, young and old, call housing the most urgent issue for the coming years. Among those under 30, the figure climbs to 52.8%. Even people aged 65 to 75 aren’t far behind, at 49.7%. The worry is widespread; faith in solutions is not.
Information from the Bank of Spain, the country faces a shortage of around 700,000 homes, underscoring the gap between demand and new construction.
Party loyalty splits sharply on housing. Sumar voters lead the way: 71.8% say housing is the top priority. Only 24.8% of Vox supporters agree. Socialist voters stand at 56.6%, while Partido Popular backers come in at 39.2%. Many on the right focus on immigration instead, shaping the broader debate.
Who should take charge? Few have a clear answer. The Partido Popular gets the most support, but only 23.9% would trust it to run housing policy. The PSOE and Sumar split the left, with 15.2% and 14.9% support, respectively. Vox trails at 13.1%. The numbers show a fractured field. About 37% would hand housing to the right, while just over 30% would trust the left. Nearly a quarter trust no one at all.
Official statistics show that housing prices in Spain rose by 12.2% over the past year, while rents increased by 8.5% in 2025. Government estimates cited by BBC and AP put the share of renters spending about 40% of their income on housing and utilities at 26%, well above the EU average of 18%.
Immigration is the one area where Vox leads. For 28.1% of Spaniards, its hardline stance on expelling irregular and some regular migrants is the preferred approach. The PSOE gets 19.8%. Partido Popular draws 18.8%, while Sumar has 7.3%. Immigration now ranks behind housing and healthcare among the public’s top concerns. One in three Spaniards puts it in their top three.
On the economy, Partido Popular is the default pick: 32% trust it with economic policy. It also leads on jobs (27.1%), with 27.3% trusting it on fiscal matters. The PSOE is always a few points behind. Sumar, despite running the labor ministry for over six years, only edges out Vox on jobs. Even Sumar’s own voters trust the PSOE more on the economy.
Healthcare and education are closer races. In health, Partido Popular and PSOE are nearly tied, at 25.5% and 24.9%. Education has slipped to seventh among national priorities. The economy and jobs rank ahead of it, as does public safety. On security, PSOE and Vox are neck and neck, drawing similar levels of trust despite their opposing views. Vox links security to immigration; PSOE offers a different model.
The scale of public disillusionment is stark. Housing is the only area where more than one in five Spaniards see no competent party at all. That level of skepticism is rare in Spanish politics and points to a deeper crisis of confidence. As reported earlier by Russpain, past housing reforms have stalled again and again. Frustration keeps growing, as do the protests.
Spain’s politicians face a hard truth: patience is running out, and housing has become the test for leadership. No party has earned broad trust. Until politicians deliver real results, the gap between the street and parliament will only grow. Spain’s housing emergency is now a crisis of political legitimacy as much as affordability.
