The Socialist Party PSOE has demanded that Palma mayor Jaime Martínez protect informal settlements of caravan and motorhome residents in the Son Güells, Son Hugo, Ciudad Jardín and Cala Mayor neighbourhoods. At the municipal council meeting on 29 October the party will propose repealing the section of the civic ordinance that bans permanent overnight stays in vehicles. Before any administrative action affecting caravan and motorhome residents, the party wants an individual social assessment to identify vulnerable groups. PSOE also calls for more temporary accommodation places through agreements with social organisations and transitional housing for working people without a home. A University of the Balearic Islands study from two years ago, based on a survey of more than 150 caravan residents, found that living in motorhomes is linked to rising rents but has complex social and urban planning causes.
