The Spanish Evangelical Alliance (AEE) is calling for a nationwide housing pact and has announced the “Under His Fig Tree” initiative, seeking to mobilise churches and organisations to provide housing support to vulnerable families.

The Christian body uniting members from a range of evangelical denominations has issued a statement (14 October) on the housing situation in Spain in which it calls on the authorities to take urgent measures to facilitate access to decent housing.

They also call to launch an evangelical network to support vulnerable families. The initiative, called “Under His Fig Tree”, aims to support 150 families during the year 2027, in which the entity will celebrate its 150th anniversary.

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The AEE notes that the housing problem has become a central issue in social and political debate. The organisation points out that, for thousands of families, young people, pensioners and workers, securing decent housing is becoming increasingly difficult.

Protests in several central squares of Spanish cities like Madrid and Barcelona have turned into indefinite encampments calling for laws to protect the right to housing, in an economic climate in which rent prices have doubled in less than a decade in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca and Málaga.

Additionally, strikes of teachers and medical doctors have led to a tense scenario in which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has decided to dissolve the parliament and call for a snap election.

Market a tool, not a god

The Spanish Evangelical Alliance says housing is “a matter of dignity and love for one’s neighbour”, and offers in its document a reflection from a biblical perspective that combines the recognition of the right to private property of the owners of houses and flats, but also the social responsibility of those who own assets.

“Property is legitimate, but not absolute”, states the Alliance, which points out that the Bible protects private property but also calls on its stewards to be accountable to God.

Not everything permitted by the market is morally acceptable – “the market is a magnificent tool, but a terrible god” – and practices that contribute to leaving individuals and families without a place to live should be condemned.

Home is “security, family, memories”

The statement also emphasises that a home is “much more than just a few square metres”, as it represents “a home, security, family and memories”. For this reason, the entity believes that supporting those who lose their homes is part of Christian responsibility and the witness of the Gospel.

The organisation also calls for transparent and effective management of public resources allocated to housing, the urgent expansion of the supply of affordable and social housing, and better coordination between social services, the courts and public authorities.

The aim, it states, is to prevent older people and other vulnerable groups from facing eviction without support or a decent alternative. The AEE also calls for action against abuses, whilst guaranteeing legal certainty for both landlords and tenants, and for public authorities to engage with social organisations, including evangelical ones, as partners.

“Under His Fig Tree”, a housing support network

Alongside its institutional demands, the Spanish Evangelical Alliance has announced five lines of action to mobilise churches and evangelical organisations in response to the difficulties in accessing housing.

The main initiative is the creation of the “Under His Fig Tree” network, whose first meeting is scheduled for Saturday 6 February 2027 in Madrid. The event will be open to churches and organisations, as well as lawyers, social workers, businesspeople and landlords, with the aim of coordinating efforts to support 150 families during the year marking the AEE’s 150th anniversary. The venue for the meeting will be announced shortly.

The organisation also wishes to encourage churches to set up “emergency funds” to help families facing temporary financial difficulties and prevent them from losing their homes because they are unable to meet two or three months’ worth of payments. These resources would be accompanied by support teams able to stand by the families from the moment “they receive an eviction notice”.

Christians offering rental at reasonable prices

Another proposal is aimed at evangelical property owners, whom the AEE encourages to offer rental accommodation at reasonable prices, in collaboration with existing initiatives such as the Diaconía’s ‘Vecindad Inclusiva’ programme in Spain.

The statement also envisages reviewing, with legal and town-planning advice, under-utilised premises and properties belonging to churches and organisations that could be used temporarily as housing resources.

Finally, the AEE offers public authorities the collaboration of a network of churches and volunteers present in neighbourhoods and towns throughout Spain.

Social action as an expression of faith

The Spanish Evangelical Alliance points out that the contribution of Protestant churches in the social sphere is documented and takes the form of initiatives such as clothing banks, food banks, emergency accommodation and rent assistance.

However, the organisation considers it necessary to expand this response in light of the current situation. Its statement links addressing housing needs to the recognition of the dignity of every person, created in the image of God.

“The first question we Christians must ask ourselves is not what others should do, but what we can do”, concludes the statement, which draws on the example of the Good Samaritan to call for a practical response to the needs of our neighbours.

The Spanish Evangelical Alliance emphasises that its mission remains to proclaim reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ, and expresses that this mission cannot be separated from the conditions in which people live. In the organisation’s own words, loving one’s neighbour also has economic implications.