A house relisted for 1.9 million euros, after major works and renovations, which had been bought for 470,000 euros barely a year earlier : this is what prompted the inhabitants of Ainhoa to take to the streets this Saturday noon, to protest against what is, in their eyes, real estate speculation. A hundred people thus gathered on the spot at the call of the local collective Ainhoa Beti, supported by several associations and parties such as Alda, EH Bai or Bizi.
Difficulty finding accommodation
Sarah, 25, spontaneously joined the demonstration: this native of Ainhoa ”was shocked” by seeing the sale price of the house. “Seeing this, when it could go to someone in the area, it shocks me”, she says. The young woman who has been looking to buy her home for some time is worried. “I would like to invest in Ainhoa or the surrounding area, but the problem of real estate prices is everywhere”she laments.
This is also why some have come from other villages, in support, like Isabelle, a member of the Alda association, which works for the right to housing. “This problem is becoming more and more important inside the Basque Country, she observes, we have examples in Ascarrat or Baïgorri. _It is urgent that everyone takes care of it, and it is very touching to see the mobilization_. There will be more and more, I’m sure.” Patrick Pena, first deputy mayor of Biriatou, about twenty kilometers away, also feels concerned. “The tools of local elected officials are quite limited, we have some room for maneuver but they are not sufficient to counter this kind of speculation, he acknowledges. This is why civil society must be mobilized.”
– Morgane Heuclin-Reffait
Few legal solutions
In front of the incriminated house, the Ainhoa Beti collective embarks on a mock auction, to better denounce the soaring prices. “Today, _the owner must be asked to have the agricultural land reclaimed_dividing the batches, says the organizer, Claudine Martikorena. As for the frame, it will be more complicated, but he should already lower the price!”
She even mentions a possible pre-emption of the building by the authorities, but it is far from being so simple, replies Sylvie Leizagoyen, first deputy mayor of Ainhoa, who came to show the support of the municipality. “To pre-empt, you need a project and money, explains the chosen one. These are unattainable prices. _We would like property sellers to get closer to the town hall so that we can put them in touch with our young people._“in the hope that they find accommodation there.
– Morgane Heuclin-Reffait