LA OROTAVA (TENERIFE), Feb. 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –
On Thursday, the Canary Islands President, Fernando Clavijo, graced the laying of the foundation ceremony for 65 newly publicly funded homes in La Orotava. He was joined by the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Mobility, Pablo Rodríguez; the President of Tenerife’s Cabildo, Rosa Dávila; the Director of the Canary Islands Housing Institute, Antonio Ortega; the Mayor of La Orotava, Francisco Linares, and other dignitaries.
The project, which commenced formally in December, requiring an investment of £7.4 million, was contracted to Construplan Construcciones y Planning SL. It is part of the Canary Islands Housing Plan 2020-2025.
Clavijo affirmed that this project underscores the Government’s dedication to expanding the public housing inventory in the archipelago, reflecting “the excellent collaboration between the City Council of La Orotava and the Cabildo of Tenerife in addressing Tenerife’s significant housing demand.”
This initiative coincides with the recently approved urgent measures decree law “to promote the availability of properties on the market by facilitating and streamlining procedures for their construction or use for residential purposes,” he noted.
In this context, the President highlighted that one of the approved reforms enhances families’ access to public assistance and subsidies by “increasing the IPREM (Multiple Effects Public Income Indicator) from 4 to 5 times to ensure fairer access to housing, particularly for those who, despite employment, are excluded from the housing market due to high prices.”
Pablo Rodríguez emphasized his department’s efforts to introduce innovative, unprecedented measures to provide effective solutions for over 13,800 housing seekers on the island of Tenerife.
INEFFICIENCY OF THE HOUSING PLAN
“It has been proven that the Canary Islands Housing Plan was inadequate to meet the substantial housing demand, necessitating a more ambitious measure to deliver real, efficient solutions to address this issue in the short term,” he stated.
The President of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, highlighted that “La Orotava has the youngest population profile among the northern municipalities,” emphasizing that “the commencement of the construction of these 65 new homes reaffirms the significance of collaboration between administrations in resolving Tenerife’s housing issue.”
“We collaborate with the Government of the Canary Islands to enhance the public housing supply on the island because housing is a primary concern for Tenerife’s population, and the Cabildo is committed to finding solutions,” she added.
Additionally, she stressed “the need for the Housing Plan’s implementation, as it is a sensitive sector for the population” and recalled the recent approval of a program allocating five million euros to fund the acquisition of homes for social renting through the island’s municipalities.
The Mayor of La Orotava, Francisco Linares, expressed gratitude that “the construction of these new social housing units is finally materializing in the San Antonio neighborhood, where a similar development was delivered a few years ago.”
These actions align with the municipal government’s objective to reduce housing demand in the municipality and assist families and residents with limited resources.
He highlighted, “Taking into account the needs of its residents, the City Council has provided land to the regional government for the construction of subsidized rental housing buildings,” and emphasized their commitment to cooperating with relevant administrations and providing support.
SPRAWLING OVER 3,300 SQUARE METERS
These residences are situated on a 3,393.11 square meter plot in the San Antonio neighborhood, transferred by the City Council to ICAVI, enabling the construction of two four-storey buildings with properties featuring up to four bedrooms, storage rooms, and a garage.
The development includes two residences reserved for people with reduced mobility (PMR) and another for sheltered housing.
Each building will also have a fire-fighting water tank, as well as two water tanks for supply along with their respective hydro-boosters, as per a statement from the Executive.
Regarding the program to expand the public rental housing inventory owned by ICAVI in Tenerife, the Government is currently working on developing 123 properties across different stages, including 65 homes in La Orotava, 17 in El Sauzal, 13 in Güímar, 17 in Santiago del Teide, and 11 in Granadilla de Abona.
Additionally, 129 homes will be constructed through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR) in the municipalities of Guia de Isora, Arona, and Armeñime.
Furthermore, concerning the subsidies granted to expand the public rental housing stock, notable are the direct transfer to the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, within the Canary Islands Housing Plan 2020-2025, for 37 homes in María Jiménez and 29 in Cuevas Blancas, as well as various Bilateral Commission Agreements (ACB) signed with different entities for additional housing solutions across the island.
