On Tuesday, the Provincial Council announced the initiation of an ex officio investigation into the eviction of an incomplete building in the heart of Costa del Silencio, situated in the municipality of Arona. The building was home to 90 families comprising a total of 210 individuals, including fifteen minors, pregnant women, and elderly residents.
The eviction process was conducted throughout the day smoothly and under a robust security framework involving the Civil Guard, following an injunction from the Court of Instruction Number 3 of Arona due to reports from the City Council highlighting the structural risks posed by the over 50-year-old building.
Going forward, the Provincial Council will be seeking information from both the City Council and the Canarian Housing Institute regarding the proposed solutions to ensure the displaced individuals’ rights, as they are currently without a place to reside.
Many of those affected, who have no viable option apart from the Chasna building and its nearly fifty units, have expressed frustration over the lack of assistance from authorities and the extensive waiting lists for public housing, apprehensive about facing homelessness.
Signs displayed at the property included messages such as “Mayor, there is a solution, do not be complicit in corruption”, “Stop holiday homes, no more vacant properties”, “All we want is a home for our children”, and “Rising rent prices are suffocating us, please help.”
The Tenerife branch of the PSOE has urged the ruling faction of the Cabildo de Tenerife to allocate public resources on the island to assist the City Council in accommodating the affected individuals.
Socialist councillor Marián Franquet recalled that in similar past scenarios, the island administration had mobilised necessary resources from various departments, not limited to Social Services, including utilising sites like the Las Raíces camp, sports halls, or residences like the Tíncer High-Performance Centre in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Additionally, she cited previous instances such as the fires last summer on the island or the challenges posed by the migratory crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Franquet highlighted, “The mass eviction of these individuals is akin to situations of social and humanitarian emergencies, akin to the recent incident of a building fire in Valencia where emergency accommodation was arranged for the affected individuals.”
She also expressed concerns over the fifteen minors among the evicted individuals, emphasising that public intervention could offer a viable solution to prevent them from becoming homeless.
City Council’s Failure to Address the Issue
The Arona City Council’s Councilor for Social Services, Ruth Martín, announced on Monday that no solution had been found for these families. She also stated that the council would not be opening any temporary shelters, as is typically done in emergencies, to avoid setting a precedent.
Additionally, Martín mentioned that there is a lack of available accommodation due to the winter tourist season being at its peak. “There are no vacancies, as we are in the midst of the high tourist season,” she stated, emphasizing that until the end of March, all tourist accommodations are nearly fully booked.
Martín acknowledged the dire living conditions in the south of Tenerife, with people residing in shanty towns, caravan parks, cars, caves, and huts. Despite this, Arona has not taken any measures to designate itself as a real estate market under strain. Furthermore, there are plans for a new urban development next to the tourist hub of Los Cristianos, which includes projects for hotels, entertainment venues, commercial spaces, and parking, but no public housing initiatives have been proposed.
