Adeje's Full Council urges Canarian Government to declare municipality as a pressured residential market area

The full council of Adeje municipality requests the Canarian Government to carry out the corresponding and mandatory studies to declare Adeje as a stressed residential market area. Only VOX rejected the proposal supported by PSOE (proposing group), CC, PP, and Unidas Podemos, which will serve as a basis to develop other measures aimed at tackling the problem of the lack of rental housing in the municipality.

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The agreement includes an additional amendment proposed by Unidas Podemos urging the central government to inventory and analyze the assets of the Administration and public bodies and urging the Canarian Government to provide the necessary means for the correct development of the reference price index for rental properties in the Autonomous Community.

“The stressed area is one more tool within a package of measures that we want to implement”

José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga

— Mayor of Adeje

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The Mayor of Adeje, José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, defined the declaration of a stressed area as “one more tool within a package of measures that we want to implement to try to alleviate, in some way, the housing problem”. A situation in which the local government “explores the possibilities given by national law with this measure, as well as the Decree Law of the Canarian Government. We have to create frameworks that enable workers to access housing within their salary and economic possibilities.”.

With the council agreement, the procedure begins for the Canarian Government to carry out the studies that will determine if the socio-economic parameters are met to carry out the declaration of a stressed area. Among them, whether Adeje residents dedicate 30% of their income to housing or if the purchase or rental price has increased by more than three points of the CPI in the previous five years, with the possibility of conducting this study by areas or population centers within the municipality.

“Neither the law nor the declaration of a stressed area contemplate the obligation” of property owners to apply the regulations and receive the tax benefits provided for in the declaration of a stressed area. In response to PP and CC, Planning Councilor Manuel Luis Méndez made it clear, as did the Mayor, who specified that “these measures are optional for property owners, who may or may not adhere to them“. Those who do may receive up to 90% tax benefits in their tax return.

Other measures

The council agreement “is an emergency declaration that will lead to other measures,” pointed out Méndez Martín. It is part of an “ambitious and complex” plan that will result in developing actions in a free market framework to generate land on which to build social housing, both publicly funded (preferably) and private, as well as promoting discounts or incentives to the private sector to build affordable housing, among other things.

Rodríguez Fraga highlighted the municipality’s experience in “such complex situations as this.” He referred to the creation of the municipal housing company – currently, the Municipal Services Company of Adeje SA (EMSA) – which put more than a thousand homes on the market “that workers in the municipality enjoy today” between the end of the last century and the early years of this one. A job that has not stopped.

In search of land

Under Law 12/2023, of May 24, on the right to housing, as well as Decree Law 1/2024, of February 19, on urgent measures in housing matters, the municipal government of Adeje is undertaking a study to identify available or potential urbanizable spaces and the reorganization of endowment areas to build affordable housing.

All this, regardless of banking measures and an aspect that José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga drew attention to and called for reflection: “Housing should be as close as possible to where the employment is. New urban models must be considered.”

Vox insisted on demanding legal security for landlords.