Marbella hospital staff forced to live in motorhomes due to unaffordable housing

In Marbella, Spain, medical staff at Costa del Sol Hospital are living in motorhomes and camper vans as permanent housing because rents consume up to 80% of their salaries. The CSIF union reported that some employees reject temporary contracts since a room costs around €600, making work financially unviable. The cancellation of a shuttle bus from Malaga in February worsened the situation, leaving staff with the choice of living in a camper or commuting hundreds of kilometers daily. Workers propose reopening a former leisure residence in Marbella for temporary accommodation, but its recent allocation to a hotel group complicates this option.

The CSIF union reports that employees at the public Hospital Costa del Sol in Marbella are sleeping in their own cars or motorhomes on the hospital parking lot because they cannot find affordable housing in the region. The situation worsened after a special bus service from Málaga and other coastal towns was cancelled in February 2025. The union demands temporary use of the public Marbella leisure residence (3.5 km away) for staff accommodation, but the building was recently leased to a hotel company. CSIF warns that staff shortages will become more severe in summer due to higher patient numbers and difficulty finding holiday replacements.

The CSIF union reported that healthcare workers at the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella are forced to sleep in cars and motorhomes on the hospital grounds due to lack of affordable housing. The cancellation of a staff bus route has worsened the situation. The union is urging hospital management to take urgent measures, including reactivating a residential complex used as temporary housing during the pandemic.

Healthcare workers at Hospital Costa del Sol in Marbella have been living in motorhomes and camper vans parked in the hospital's car park due to soaring rents. The CSIF union reports that professionals accept temporary contracts but face impossible housing choices. Some have quit after years of living without basic amenities. The union has proposed opening the nearby Marbella Public Holiday Residence as temporary accommodation.

The CSIF union has formally requested the management of the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella to take urgent measures due to a housing shortage and mobility collapse. Some employees sleep in cars or motorhomes in the hospital parking lot, while others commute hundreds of kilometers daily. A bus route from Malaga was canceled in February, worsening the situation. CSIF warns that staff shortages may lead to a hospital collapse this summer.