This first month of March has opened the way to respond to the problem of housing suffered by Ipar Euskal Herria: in the case of renting a tourist dwelling, the owner will have to provide a much lower contract of long-term rental in the same city and with an equivalent area. The obligation applies to the 24 coastal localities with the most problematic housing and tourist presence: Ahetze, Angelu, Arbona, Arrangoitze, Azkaine, Basusarri, Baiona, Biarritz, Bidar, Biriatu, Bokale, Ziburu, Getaria, Hendaia, Jatsu, Lehuntjer, Lari The total number of homes for tourists is 11,000, which means that, keeping all of them, they would need 11,000 new homes to be used for hostels all year round, or not, for the tourist market.

The measure voted was not implemented immediately. Precisely because it has been subject to forensic analysis on more than one occasion: the Basque School of Urban Helmets voted the measure in March last year almost unanimously, but some owners did not see it well and went to the courts to defend their "freedom". The judge agreed to the owners in June, amended an adjusted measure and voted again and approved it in July. The owners went back to court, but on 16 September last year they gave the college their support.

Undoubtedly, the struggle led by the Alda collective is at the base. Despite the evident housing problem, the elected officials have taken the step thanks to the pressure exerted by this group. "Triumphs are celebrated to be even more motivated in the struggle for descendants," according to Alda. That is why they met on Wednesday in Baiona Ttipia to celebrate this achievement.

Reading by EH Bai

EH Bai regards the compensatory measure as "an important step". But to go further, the coalition has presented four new requests, from the press conference of March 1: to extend the measure obligated to 24 villages all over the Northern Basque Country; that the homes that return to the rental park of the whole year are offered at "affordable price"; a profound reform of the taxation -" to increase the tax on real estate economic benefits, to apply more taxes to the money that is earned through the owners of the largest home

The demonstration in favour of the right to housing will take place on 1 April in Baiona. Both Alda and EH Bai make a call for assistance.