The parking lot of the Hospital Universitario Costa del Sol (HUCS) has become an improvised campsite for many healthcare workers, mainly from other Andalusian provinces, who cannot afford housing prices in Marbella. This long-standing problem has intensified recently, especially since the hospital's integration into the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) in 2024 and 2025.
The Central Independent Union of Civil Servants (CSIF) has raised the alarm about this situation, urging competent administrations to find housing solutions. The most affected categories are those with lower salaries, such as orderlies and Auxiliary Nursing Care Technicians (TCAE), whose wages do not exceed 1,500 euros and who often maintain mortgages or rents in their home provinces.
“"No one wants the Costa del Sol hospital because it's not easy to come and live here."
A union spokesperson estimated that about thirty workers spend nights in cars and caravans at the hospital. The inability to find affordable accommodation, with rooms costing between 600 and 1,000 euros excluding expenses, leads many to resign from their contracts, especially after the private bus service from Málaga capital was discontinued.
The Junta de Andalucía, for its part, has stated that housing in Marbella is not within its jurisdiction, despite allowing healthcare workers to stay at the Marbella Free Time Residence during the COVID-19 pandemic, an option no longer available. Those affected are demanding measures such as the provision of housing or, at least, the installation of shaded areas and power outlets in the parking lot to alleviate high summer temperatures.
