The Sustainable City division of the Puerto de la Cruz City Council has initiated the administrative process to create a preliminary diagnosis and evaluation study that will facilitate the designation of the municipality as a stressed area regarding housing to the relevant authorities.
The aim of the study is to assess the socioeconomic factors that necessitate the aforementioned designation and to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the city’s current circumstances. This is intended to pave the way for measures, including the regulation of rental prices and government assistance for price reductions, state subsidies through the Housing Plan, or an increase in social housing.
A survey of vacant properties in Puerto de la Cruz will also be conducted to produce a thorough report about the current situation. This will enable a request to the various administrations for a specific plan to implement the essential measures needed to rectify the identified disparities, along with a timeline for their execution.
The area mayor, David Hernández (ACP), states that, “due to the alarming deficiency of available housing, efforts are being directed accordingly. This study is warranted as it pertains to a municipality that does not exceed 9 square kilometres, making land more limited compared to larger areas.”
This geographical constraint, combined with the appeal of numerous hotel accommodations, “is resulting in significant challenges related to accessing or maintaining adequate housing because of the elevated prices for buying and renting. This situation severely jeopardises the stability of residents who are unable to find housing in their own city, forcing them to relocate elsewhere,” the councilman concludes.
The new Housing Law permits the designation of certain territories as stressed areas, provided that in the specified area, housing costs, whether mortgage or rent, exceed 30% of the average household income, or if rent has increased by 5% above the CPI over the past five years.
