Malaga motorhome owners stand firmly against eviction order amid housing crisis

In few places in Malaga do two such disparate worlds meet so closely. A single street separates the unofficial motorhome park in Sacaba from the latest real estate developments on the self-proclaimed 'Golden Mile' of Malaga city. From the penthouses selling for over two million euros, you can see the motorhome of Rafael Sanchis, an airport worker.

Rafael, 54, spoke to SUR less than 24 hours before the eviction the city council has scheduled for Tuesday morning. He has barely slept since the decision announcement last week.

Like most of the residents in this small settlement (which once numbered around 500), he is a victim of soaring rents. "My salary isn't enough to pay 1,200 euros for a flat. I'm divorced and have a young daughter to support. I could afford to rent a room, but at 54, I can't imagine sharing a home. Besides, when it's my turn to have her, my daughter is here with me."

"Here" is an eight-square-metre campervan, consisting of a bed, a toilet, a kitchen and a small sofa bench with a television. Rafael is about to complete three years in Sacaba. "It's not ideal, but I've found a dignified life here," he said. The only trip he makes daily is the one between his home and the airport. Now, his home is under threat.

City workers have already erected barriers at various points within the settlement, similar to those they use during Semana Santa. "No parking from 7am on 7 and 8 July," the signs say.

Last week, the settlement residents all received a leaflet informing them: "Due to cleaning and sanitation work, you must remove your vehicle before 7 July 2026. Otherwise, it will be towed away."

Some motorhomes had reportedly headed to Guadalmar or Peñón del Cuervo, but less than 24 hours later, most had remained in the area with no intention of moving.

"We're not leaving," 31-year-old Juan Francisco Rama said. He works for a family business and lives with his partner in a motorhome. For them, Sacaba represents the only place where they "can live comfortably".

All the residents SUR interviewed said that they "don't want pity". They feel that they have been pushed to the brink of survival and are now treated almost like lepers, evicted first by the housing market and now from their last option to have a roof over their heads.

At an impromptu press conference, familiar faces from the housing movement in Malaga denounced the "inhumane treatment to which these Malaga residents are being subjected".

They hope that Mayor Francisco de la Torre will help find a plausible alternative for them. "He has to choose whether he wants to be a democrat or do what Jesús Gil did in Marbella, expelling residents with less purchasing power so that the shortcomings of his office wouldn't be exposed," they said.

The city council acknowledged the problem but stated that Sacaba is an "illegal settlement". Residents, meanwhile, said around 140 families face an uncertain future on Tuesday, with nowhere else to go if the eviction goes ahead.

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