The centre comprises 550 places across four residences and has received over 1,400 applications this year.
LA LAGUNA (TENERIFE), 3 (EUROPA PRESS)
The University of La Laguna (ULL) has resumed its ULL-Debates series this Thursday, an initiative aimed at examining socially relevant issues, with a particular focus on the housing challenges faced by university students in the metropolitan area.
The session, moderated by journalist Chema Blanco, commenced with a video produced by the institution highlighting the experiences of students who have encountered various difficulties in securing accommodation in the city, including instances of scams.
Consequently, several students have had to relocate to more distant municipalities, resulting in significant traffic issues during their commutes, or temporarily reside with family members until they could find more suitable housing.
The film also highlighted students from other islands or the mainland who ultimately had to withdraw their enrolment in this university due to similar circumstances.
“Once housing becomes a speculative asset, we face a problem,” asserted Alejandro Armas, assistant professor in the Department of Geography.
He emphasised that the search for accommodation has turned into a “dramatic” ordeal, exacerbated by the introduction of tourist activities in urban areas and the gentrification of cities, which displaces young people unable to meet rental costs.
This was evident from the large gathering of young individuals in the conference room of the Faculty of Economics, Business, and Tourism, who noted that chat groups seeking housing “are quite prevalent and frustrating.”
Others, however, commended the University’s social policy in this regard, which offers accommodation in its four colleges and residences for less affluent students, for whom such a provision is essential to pursue their university studies.
The geographer, who remarked that housing development in the Canary Islands has focused on constructing empty properties, proposed several solutions employed by other universities to address this dilemma during the debate.
One such solution includes legal support in the accommodation search, ensuring certain protections for students, or the option of sharing living spaces with elderly individuals living alone.
WITHOUT SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE LAND
María Tomé, an urban planner who participated online, made a stark observation regarding the precarious situation of university students, who struggle to access public universities due to the housing crisis.
There is a “flood of foreign investors” purchasing homes in the Canary Islands, “amidst the absence of a bolder policy,” she stated.
“We have lost control over the land, which is now in the hands of individuals who do not reside on the islands,” she remarked.
Tomé highlighted the necessity not only to increase the quantity of housing but also to devise new housing models suitable for contemporary societal models. “It is urgent to safeguard the land in the Canary Islands, both developed and undeveloped,” she emphasised.
The urban planner expressed a critical stance towards those who do not contribute to the common good, thereby reviewing national and regional calls for demonstrations aimed at demanding reduced rents and new living arrangements within urban settings.
“We young people cannot subsidise the housing costs of those born into affluent families who possess properties to speculate upon,” she added, urging the University to support this call for change.
Concepción Brito, president of the Canarian Federation of Municipalities (Fecam), shared in her address that many municipal issues are regulated at the parliamentary level, and the capacity for action from local governments is severely limited.
In this context, she noted that the population is concentrated in the two major Canarian capitals, along with Telde (Gran Canaria) and Arona (Tenerife), “meaning that 46 out of the 48 municipalities do not exceed 20,000 residents, indicating that there is land available for habitation.”
LACK OF PLANNING
However, she concurred that the construction of housing must align with other initiatives. “We are experiencing a deficit of planning in this regard across all administrations,” she clarified.
Given the lack of commitment to public housing, the solutions lie within existing housing, amidst a market overwhelmed by high rental demands, Brito noted.
In response to student inquiries regarding the capacity of municipalities to take effective action, the mayor of Candelaria further explained that the absence of regulations hampers local authorities from transitioning the typical housing model to one suitable for tourist accommodation, a unilateral decision to which councils can “do nothing.”
“We also require tools to ensure adequate public use and facilities for municipal land,” she emphasised.
Rosario Hernández, vice-rector for Students, provided details about the four accommodation facilities at the University of La Laguna.
The financial capacity of applicants, insularity, and academic performance are fundamental criteria for the allocation of the total 550 places, in contrast to the over 1,400 applications received this academic year.
She also indicated that a small reserve of places is consistently retained, which has recently been filled with students from non-EU programmes.
Specifically, as previously mentioned, it is a residency system with a notably social focus that, while it effectively serves its purposes, remains inadequate.
THE STRESSED AREA WOULD NOT HELP
Elías Falcón, president of the Student Council, pointed out that rents in the Canary Islands have surged by over 140% in the last decade, with regional government support excluding those not registered in the local municipality, “which marginalises half of the students, who are unwilling to forfeit the assistance of their local councils.”
In his view, the designation of a stressed area would not positively influence the students’ situation, who would continue to pay high rents, in one form or another, thus underlining the essential role of council support.
“Administrations and universities must enhance the public availability of places,” he asserted, proposing the idea of aligning holiday home prices with those of hotels to reduce the former’s appeal.
