Yesterday, Lope Afonso, the Vice President and Tourism Advisor of the Cabildo de Tenerife, revealed the Island Corporation’s plans to establish a working group comprising social and economic stakeholders. The aim is to evaluate the current housing situation on the Island and devise potential solutions to address the housing crisis.
This announcement was made during a seminar on Tenerife’s housing situation held last Monday. The event was led by the Island’s Vice President and the Minister of Municipal Cooperation and Housing, Sonia Hernández. It was attended by a significant number of members from the construction employers’ association (Fepeco) and a delegation from the Association of Young Entrepreneurs (AJE), as confirmed by a statement released by the Island Corporation yesterday.
The session commenced with Afonso and Hernández introducing the Activa Vivienda and Activa Suelo initiatives. These programmes will enable the Cabildo to provide a total of 227 social rental properties to young individuals and families on the Island throughout this year, through the participation of various local councils in both schemes.
The signing of an agreement with the Canary Islands Housing Institute “served as the legal framework that empowered us to play a more active role as an administrative body,” recalled the Island’s Vice President. He referenced the programmes that were implemented as a result of the agreement and which entail an investment of 17 million this year for the acquisition of homes and land by the local councils (for social rental purposes), along with the housing refurbishment programme.
Afonso affirmed that “the proactive stance taken by the Cabildo will not end with these measures, but we will persist in seeking additional solutions to alleviate the housing issue thanks to the proactive involvement of the Island institution.” He also highlighted that “in light of this new dynamic role of the Cabildo, it is imperative that we address procedures to streamline bureaucracy.” He explained, “Hence, we have established an Island Directorate of Strategic Projects with the aim to expedite initiatives, acknowledging that public projects not only serve a crucial social purpose but also act as drivers of the economy.”
According to Afonso, “it is vital that the public and private sectors collaborate in addressing the current challenges related to housing accessibility.” He expressed gratitude towards Fepeco and AJE for their cooperation in facilitating this inaugural meeting.
On the other hand, Óscar Izquierdo, the president of Fepeco who represented construction entrepreneurs, expressed his support for the housing policy being implemented by the Cabildo. He voiced confidence that “with our collaboration, it can yield positive results.”
Additionally, he relayed to the Island’s Vice President the concerns of his sector regarding the “excessive” delays in the approval of licenses for major projects in most councils. He urged the implementation of regulatory mechanisms similar to those in Andalusia and Madrid, where measures have been introduced to “substantially expedite the resolution times, ensuring licenses are promptly issued.”
