Business leaders to tackle affordable housing shortage for employees in Nerja

The growing difficulty in finding affordable housing on the Costa del Sol has prompted local business leaders in Nerja to take action. The Nerja business association (AEN) has agreed to set up a dedicated working group to analyse the problem and draw up proposals that could facilitate access to affordable housing, both for those already living in the town and for those who need to move there for work reasons.

The initiative follows several months of internal debate within the business organisation. Since the new executive committee, led by Raúl Rivas, took over the running of the AEN in October 2025, housing has featured prominently both in the association’s meetings and in sector-specific urban planning discussions held with officials from Nerja town hall.

Business leaders argue that the problem no longer affects only those seeking a home, but has also become an obstacle to the smooth running of some businesses. According to the AEN, employees, the self-employed, families and young people are facing increasing difficulties in finding a place to live in Nerja, while companies across various sectors are struggling to attract or retain staff who cannot find accommodation at affordable prices.

The association adds a demographic concern to this economic one. The AEN refers to a "stagnation" in the population, which stands at 22,132 inhabitants and considers it necessary to analyse the extent to which the housing market is influencing young people’s decision to stay, the arrival of new families and generational renewal. The organisation insists that housing must be addressed not only from an urban planning perspective, but also from social and economic angles.

The future working group will bring together professionals from the fields of town planning and housing, business leaders from various sectors and representatives of the AEN. The aim will be to translate the conclusions into short-, medium- and long-term measures and subsequently communicate them to both the public and the authorities and institutions with the power to take action in this area.

“Housing is not just a problem for those looking for a home. It also affects our businesses, employment, trade, the hospitality sector, services and ultimately the economic and social future of Nerja,” warned Rivas. He believes it is necessary to create “a pluralistic and constructive forum” from which concrete solutions can emerge.

The first meeting is scheduled for September and from then on an action plan will be established and issues such as town planning, land availability, the promotion of affordable housing, long-term lettings and possible forms of collaboration between public authorities and the private sector will begin to be examined.

This is not the employers’ organisation’s first initiative in this area. In June the AEN presented its proposals during the public consultation process for the future General Municipal Development Plan (PGOM), which is set to replace the current plan in force since 2000. Among other measures, it proposed setting aside land specifically for affordable housing, increasing the building allowance in certain areas and promoting new developments in the north of the municipality.

The debate also coincides with the significant growth in tourist accommodation. According to the latest data from the INE 16.36 per cent of the properties registered in Nerja were used for tourist purposes – the highest percentage in the province, with 2,719 units recorded in those statistics. The Andalusian tourist register recorded more than 4,300 authorised properties. The mayor of Nerja, José Alberto Armijo, announced at a council meeting that the town hall was considering a possible moratorium on new tourist accommodation, although no specific deadlines or scope of application had yet been set.

The association now wishes to broaden the debate and turn its previous ideas into proposals that can be discussed with experts and representatives from various sectors. The AEN states that it is approaching the process with a willingness for dialogue and institutional collaboration, and acknowledges that the complexity of the problem means one single measure cannot be relied upon. The outcome of the round-table discussion will be communicated to the authorities with the aim of influencing both immediate decisions and housing and urban development planning for the coming years.