The Santa Cruz City Council, via the Municipal Institute of Social Care (IMAS), led by Charín González, has announced that “the IMAS has conducted vulnerability assessments at the request of the Courts to assess the vulnerability situations of individuals and families involved in legal procedures for evictions and releases.” It specifically notes that “from January to July of this year, 111 vulnerability reports were completed to prevent evictions in the first seven months,” states the Councillor for Social Action.
The Mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, emphasises that “housing remains a key focus within this municipality, which is why we are engaging in multiple efforts fundamentally aimed at providing care and housing solutions for vulnerable individuals and families.” He adds that “in addition to new construction, renovations, accessibility initiatives, and partnerships with other administrations to develop new properties, support offered through the PEAS scheme is aimed at covering rental and mortgage expenses to specifically prevent evictions.”
González further asserts that “in light of the current socioeconomic environment and the challenges surrounding housing access and retention for vulnerable families, the PEAS for housing—designed to support rent, mortgage payments, real estate mediation, and deposits—serve as crucial assistance to avert payment failures and thereby prevent eviction proceedings and housing loss.” She elaborates that “in the first half of 2024 alone, 760 housing PEAS have been disbursed, totalling 1,390,487 euros, of which 124 grants accounted for mortgage payments amounting to 276,034.04 euros.”
“The IMAS – advances Charín González – also plays a significant role in mediation between homeowners and renters or those with mortgage loans to prevent housing loss due to defaults, disputes, or delays in payment. Additionally, we undertake vulnerability reports upon the Courts’ requests to provide testimony regarding the affected individuals and families facing legal eviction processes, having completed 111 such reports by July of this year to prevent evictions.”
Annually, the IMAS shares statistics detailing the number of PEAS allocated for mortgage payments: 138 in 2020, amounting to 234,825.97 euros; 183 in 2021, totalling 321,050.95 euros; 202 operations in 2022 for a total of 347,240.80 euros; and last year, this sum rose to 458,027.99 euros, from 253 PEAS of this kind. Up until July of this year, there have been 124 operations with a monetary value of 276,034.04 euros.
In conclusion, it is essential to recognise that the PEAS scheme in general, and housing assistance in particular, represents a vital tool for social redistribution and wealth equity within the municipality. This effort directly supports those segments of the population that find themselves in vulnerable circumstances, with approximately 33.47% of families in the metropolitan area struggling to make ends meet, as per the Income and Living Conditions Survey conducted by the Government of the Canary Islands.
