Recently, Pablo Rodríguez, the Minister of Public Works, Housing, and Mobility, addressed the Prohogar programme as a housing solution for the 90 families who were forcibly removed from the Chasna establishment last week in Costa del Silencio, Arona, due to a structural collapse threat.
Responding to socialist representative Patricia Hernández, Rodríguez mentioned that the regional government had extended this programme to the Arona City Council and other municipalities facing similar eviction situations, as unfortunately, this was not an isolated case in the Canary Islands, emphasising the pressing “housing emergency” across the region.
Rodríguez stressed that families seeking assistance through this scheme must be recognised as vulnerable, highlighting that the residents of the Chasna building had been living there since 2021, during José Julián Mena’s socialist mayoral term, who allegedly permitted them to reside in substandard conditions.
Asserting that this is not a viable housing solution, the councillor criticised Hernández for exploiting this case for political gain, urging immediate action as some of the Chasna building’s evicted residents were currently homeless.
Hernández concurred that the recent declaration of a “housing emergency” by the Canary Islands Government was indeed warranted for these circumstances, yet the proposed measures are long-term, whereas these displaced individuals require immediate assistance.
Mayor Fátima Lemes acknowledged on Friday that the municipality is facing peak occupancy season with virtually no available accommodations to relocate the affected families. Despite this, she engaged with Ashotel, the Government Subdelegation, the Canarian Housing Institute, and the Cabildo to secure urgently needed resources.
