The City Council of Granadilla de Abona stated yesterday that the real estate developer Aurquia’s choice to halt its affordable housing project in the Taburiente II building is based “purely and exclusively on profitability and financial solvency considerations regarding the options of renting or selling the units.”
Three days after the company announced its withdrawal from the project comprising 64 homes with 1 to 3 bedrooms, “due to the approval, during the plenary session on April 27, of the petition to declare the town to the Government of the Canary Islands as a stressed residential market area” (which led to the withdrawal of bank funding, according to the developer), the municipal group presided over by Mayor Jennifer Miranda responded with a firm statement presenting its arguments in six points.
In the first point, the Granada Government clarifies that the resolution passed unanimously during the April 27 plenary session does not officially declare Granadilla de Abona as a stressed residential market area, but rather requests the Island Government to conduct the necessary studies to identify the areas within the municipality that meet the statutory requirements for such a designation. If identified, the areas can then be declared, thus ensuring that “the rental contracts or pre-contracts signed by Aurquia are not affected by a declaration that does not currently exist.”
The municipal group adds that the developer already owns all the units in the Taburiente II building, “which are burdened with a mortgage, meaning Aurquia had financing in place for their acquisition.” Additionally, it states that the city council approached the banking institution (Cajasiete), which, “under strict financial standards and borrower solvency, indicated that it makes decisions independently.”
The council also announced its readiness to assist all individuals impacted by Aurquia’s decision with “any necessary clarifications, advice, or support they may need.”
