By Horaci Garcia

BARCELONA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - About 22,000 people

protested in Barcelona on Saturday, in the latest demonstration

to demand lower housing rental prices and better living

conditions.

Housing has become a major issue in Spain as it struggles to

balance promoting tourism, a key driver of its economy, and

concerns over high rents due to gentrification and landlords

shifting to more lucrative, short-term tourist rentals.

The price of rentals signed in the second quarter of 2024 in

Barcelona was almost 70% higher than in the same period of 2014,

data from the Catalan Housing Agency shows.

"We are spending half our wages in rent ... This must

stop!," said Carme, 28, a spokeswoman for a tenants union.

Smaller protests were held across Catalonia, and in Burgos,

Asturias in north Spain and Jerez de la Frontera in the south.

The government announced a crackdown on short-term and

seasonal holiday lettings in July and plans to investigate

listings on platforms such as Airbnb ( ABNB ) and Booking.com to

verify if they have licences.

Demonstrations have been held this year in Madrid, the

Canary Islands and Malaga, where seasonal hospitality workers

struggle to find accommodation, with many sleeping in caravans

or even their cars.

($1 = 0.9600 euros)