The City Council of La Laguna will present to the Plenary Session the proposal from the Urban Planning Department to designate a total of 3,491.22 square metres of municipal land for the construction of social housing in order to further increase the public housing supply in the city. The initiative suggests transferring six plots in Finca España, La Cuesta, Valle Tabares, Tejina, and Taco, properties of the City Council valued at 1,738,600.40 euros, to the Municipal Housing and Services Company (Muvisa) and the Canary Islands Housing Institute (ICAVI).
The mayor, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, emphasises that “access to housing is a major challenge for our society, a complex situation that, in La Laguna, we believe should be addressed with solidarity and a strong social focus, particularly focusing on families with greater socioeconomic challenges.”
“Constructing social housing on public land is crucial in reducing inequalities. Through initiatives like this, we remain committed to prioritising the expansion of the municipal housing stock, providing options for those unable to afford private rentals,” he adds.
The Councillor for Land Use Planning and Director of the Urban Planning Department in La Laguna, Adolfo Cordobés, clarifies that “this is the first time in at least the last decade that local public land assets have been allocated for this purpose. We are utilising all resources available to enhance the housing offer in La Laguna, particularly to assist families in vulnerable situations or facing difficulties in securing rental accommodation.”
The proposal, presented to the groups during the Municipal Commission for Land Use Planning, proposes transferring a plot of land measuring 1,127.68 square metres on Pico Cho Canino Street in Finca España to the Municipal Housing and Services Company of La Laguna. This land will be used to construct 29 social housing units, for which Muvisa has already secured funding.
Furthermore, five other plots will be assigned to the Canarian Housing Institute to contribute to expanding the regional public housing supply in the municipality. These plots are located on the Valle Tabares road (841 square metres); two on Franco Street in Medina de La Cuesta (483.70 and 180.14 m2); one on Lucca Street in Tejina (420.39 m2), and another on Santa Margarita Street in Taco (438.31 square metres).
£4 million for the acquisition of existing housing
This proposal, to be deliberated during the upcoming ordinary session of the municipal plenary, strengthens the actions carried out by the Housing Department in the city. Adolfo Cordobés highlights that La Laguna, through Muvisa, has allocated a budget of 4 million euros for the purchase of properties across the municipality, with the call for applications open for a year to receive numerous offers.
CEO of Muvisa, Juan Ignacio Viciana, explains that this initiative is part of the strategy to “acquire completed developments or those needing minimal intervention, with the aim of expanding the network of municipal housing resources and the local affordable rental programme.”
This approach aims to “expedite processes and cater to the housing needs of families in La Laguna facing the greatest difficulties,” Viciana states.
The municipal housing portfolio has recently been bolstered with the acquisition of three residential buildings in Salud Alto – El Rocío, La Piterita, and La Cuesta, in addition to those already in use in Tejina, Geneto, and Taco, enabling the housing of a hundred families.
Alongside various regeneration and rehabilitation projects, Muvisa and the Municipal Housing Department are progressing in developing new public constructions and expanding the protected housing supply in the city.
Furthermore, as Adolfo Cordobés mentions, “we are finalising a comprehensive six-month study on the housing situation in the city to make informed decisions on local housing policies using realistic and up-to-date data,” a detailed analysis commissioned from the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna, through the Chair of Sustainable Territories, Socioeconomic Development, and Tourism, anticipated for completion by the end of this month.
