She is the youngest councillor in the city council and additionally oversees one of the divisions with the largest budget. Charín González (CC), councillor for Social Affairs, Education and Youth, as well as president of the Municipal Institute of Social Care (IMAS), remarks that her inaugural year in office has been “intense and challenging,” with significant hurdles primarily centred around the home assistance service and comprehensive support for the homeless. The latter has recently stirred controversy due to the pressures faced by the Municipal Shelter, which is currently providing care for vulnerable individuals from other municipalities and cities, including Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. As a result, there is a strong desire to revise the existing care model at the shelter.
–Is being the youngest councillor in the municipal administration a benefit or a drawback?
“I believe the benefit lies in my ability to dedicate myself fully to my work, as my age (32 years old) means I do not have responsibilities beyond my professional role at present. Furthermore, in the realm of social services—an area where I have experience as a social worker—I am well-known among my colleagues. Therefore, regardless of how well I perform, the fact that they appreciate having someone from this profession undertaking this role is fulfilling, despite it being a demanding field.”
–Is it challenging to manage one of the largest budgets in the city council within such intricate sectors?
“It is indeed challenging, as we are working with a budget of almost 32 million euros, alongside a considerable number of personnel involved. Within Social Services, we engage with a diverse population and address many different issues. Thus, one of my aims is to shift the negative perception that we only serve individuals with limited means, as we also tackle a variety of other challenges, such as youth coexistence in homes, the needs of elderly individuals, and support for children with disabilities. Our objective is to enhance the quality of life for all individuals.”
–What notable actions have been implemented thus far?
“I would highlight Santa Cruz Vital, which began from a challenging position following the discontinuation of the Ansina island programme. Getting it operational was demanding, but witnessing its growth is rewarding. Additionally, we are set to launch a new service dedicated to aiding the homeless, as well as modifying the contract for municipal nursery schools, which has also been complicated due to the tender process. Concerning the elderly, a significant issue has been enhancing the training of technical staff to move away from a welfare-centric perspective and return to the roots of our profession, focusing on community intervention and the user themselves.”
–The Municipal Reception Centre has been in the spotlight recently. What measures are being considered to alleviate the current overload?
“What the city council is advocating for is that other municipalities need to have adequate resources to care for the homeless, aiming to prevent excessive strain on the capital. As other towns enhance their resources, the demand for our social care will lessen. Thus, our long-term vision for the comprehensive service for the homeless involves overhauling the current model we have for caring for vulnerable individuals. We do not wish to maintain a Municipal Reception Centre that has become a large facility with over 100 beds, as it is at present. We have designated places, and we will not be increasing them; however, it becomes essential for the other municipalities to augment theirs. We aim to promote a different model of care, centred on smaller establishments, ideally with a maximum of 15 to 20 occupants.”
-Do you mean personalising the shelter’s care or redistributing these individuals?
“Both approaches are intended. On one hand, we aim for the Municipal Reception Centre to function primarily as a day centre, with significantly fewer beds available for overnight stays. On the other hand, considering the various locations within the municipality, our vision is to establish other small centres that have available capacity, though we do not plan to increase the number of current beds, rather we intend to diversify the facilities we have. Currently, we are advancing other types of procedures to realise this objective.”
-Is this change related to the controversy surrounding the registration of vulnerable individuals from Las Palmas in Santa Cruz?
“In Santa Cruz, we have a thousand individuals registered in the shelter receiving direct aid from our social services, while Las Palmas de Gran Canaria claims to have another thousand registered in its municipal reception centres. This discrepancy is unusual, as with twice the population of the other major capital, it has almost an equal number of registered individuals as us, indicating that something is amiss.”
-But are the thousand vulnerable individuals recorded in Santa Cruz all from other municipalities?
“So far this year, we have welcomed 57 additional homeless individuals in Santa Cruz, of which 13% hail from the province of Tenerife. This data reveals that we are shouldering a social burden that is not solely attributable to our municipality, and the results translate into significant social pressure for us. Moreover, it poses challenges for the individuals themselves, who, in these vulnerable situations, are required to move between municipalities to receive care, complicating intervention. The profile we are encountering in homeless situations includes 30% foreign nationals, 29% with mental health issues, and 28% in an irregular administrative status. Additionally, we are seeing an uptick in mental health cases among those who find themselves homeless. It also affects migrants or former minors who have been cared for in centres, reach adulthood, and seek accommodation in our facilities. Alongside this, new profiles of unusual cases are being addressed by the Mobile Outreach Unit (UMA), where many individuals opt to live in caravans by choice. We understand that our role is not to support these types of cases, as our social services are dedicated to assisting people facing vulnerabilities, mental health problems, or those with addiction or dual diagnoses.”
-Food aid is another pressing issue: what is the current situation?
“The city council was a trailblazer in establishing an agreement back in 2017, which we currently maintain with Dinosor and intend to extend to other supermarkets, facilitating food aid for vulnerable families via a wallet card. Presently, the responsibility has shifted from the city council to the Government of the Canary Islands, which handles distribution through the Red Cross. We have conducted several meetings with the Executive, as we lack the capacity to continue meeting demand with the specific models currently in place for distributing these wallet cards. We were prepared to engage with this plan, but changes to the working guidelines needed to access its distribution have not proven effective. Furthermore, the financial allotment designated for us in Santa Cruz was 300,000 euros during this period, whereas our monthly spending on food cards averages around 800,000 euros. Additionally, the State has excluded families without children, which is concerning for us. The regional government is striving to ensure that these cards reach as many individuals as possible, but I believe that the transfer of the FEAD programme to the autonomous communities has not been executed satisfactorily.”
-Are increasingly more families seeking assistance?
“Compared to last year, we don’t observe a significant rise; however, we are noticing shifts in the profile of those requesting support.
“Every day we assist working families who, due to rental conditions or other factors, encounter financial challenges in making ends meet.”
-As you mentioned housing, what is the current status regarding evictions?
“One of the aspects that continues to concern us is the housing situation, as we are encountering instances where it is exceedingly difficult to complete the integration process due to the present challenges families with limited means face in securing accommodation. In this regard, in addition to the financial support for rent, amounting to 3,000 euros annually, we are formalising agreements with Provivienda, which this year has seen the availability of flats for those in need increase to 42.”
-Two particular cases come to mind: Añaza and the Alejandro building. How are the negotiations progressing?
“With Añaza, the entity managing the situation is Visocan, and currently, the local council is engaging with this public entity to explore alternative solutions to allow these residents to secure fair rent. Conversely, the Alejandro building has a private owner, making the situation more intricate; however, I am scheduled to meet with the owner shortly to discuss the issues faced by those who have occupied these residences for eleven years.”
-Is migration contributing to the surge in demand for social assistance?
“We have not found it necessary to augment the budget for migrants. The foreign population present in Santa Cruz, categorized by continent, shows that the highest numbers come from South America, followed by Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and Oceania.”
-Another focal point concerns the allegations from IMAS employees regarding mistreatment and excessive workloads. What is happening in this respect?
“We have held discussions with the Staff Committee to establish agreements, with negotiations still ongoing. This year has seen staff changes as we undergo a stabilisation process across the organisation, ultimately impacting us. Our aim is for workers to feel supported, ensuring they can deliver the best possible service. I am engaging with union representatives and employees regarding the reported situation, which is not acknowledged by all IMAS staff. It is a serious allegation to claim mistreatment, and if anyone believes this to be the case, I encourage them to approach the courts or the town hall’s Prevention Service to report the issue. I have even made my office available, but so far, no one has come forward in either direction.”
-Another one of your responsibilities is Youth: are there any developments?
“Our goal is to establish a youth centre in each municipality district. We currently have the Siliuto centre, which is thriving with its programme; the Mascareño house, where we have introduced a new programme this year; and our next step will be to open another centre in the Southwest and in Ofra. Additionally, we are progressing with the Youth District programme, filled with various training and leisure activities in the neighbourhoods.”
-What challenges lie ahead?
“We aim to launch the new home help service and renovate several Social Services centres. In the immediate future, our priority will be to address the needs of the elderly and combat their isolation, as well as focusing on the mental health of younger individuals, where initiatives are already underway in schools and colleges. Furthermore, we will also be implementing the proximity project in collaboration with the Cabildo, which will see an additional 19 personnel joining our municipal social care centres to offer a more tailored service.”
