In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the issue of the shortage of social housing was brought up in the recent plenary session of the City Council, initiated by the Vox party. Their spokesperson, Alejandro Gómez, presented a motion urging the local government to repurpose public land that is currently unused for the construction of new social housing in the city. This proposal was backed by the majority of the session, with the socialist group abstaining.
Gómez advocated for an update of the inventory of municipal assets and resources, making all available land resources for housing construction under public protection schemes accessible to residents and businesses through digital platforms. He also suggested facilitating public-private partnerships for the development of social housing.
The Urban Planning Councillor, Zaida González, confirmed that discussions are underway regarding the conversion of public land plots for this purpose. Javier Rivero, the Works and Infrastructure Councillor, also supported this initiative.
Furthermore, González mentioned that there are many public lands in La Gallega designated for educational or sports purposes that are no longer needed. With the approval from the Education Department of the Canary Islands, these lands can now be utilised to expand the residential area under protection, addressing the municipality’s need for additional plots.
Another motion approved by the council focused on the deteriorating urban infrastructure in the upper part of the Valleseco neighbourhood. The proposal, put forward by socialist Florentino Guzmán, called for the replacement of sewage and water networks, street paving, and the creation of parking spaces in this area situated within the Anaga Biosphere Reserve.
Guzmán highlighted the poor state of the sanitation and water networks in Valleseco, along with the inadequate street paving and lack of parking spaces, which have been impacting residents’ quality of life for years.
Support for the socialist motion came from resident Manuel Rodríguez, who shared the challenges faced by the neighbourhood due to infrastructure issues affecting daily life.
Additionally, motions aimed at promoting digitalisation of the municipal archive and regulating private sponsorship of municipal activities were passed during the session. Another institutional motion declared Santa Cruz a City Free of School Bullying, committing to implementing measures to combat bullying and creating safe zones.
Despite Heritage Councillor Javier Rivero showing interest in a potential project to restore the San Francisco Battery near the Auditorium, Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez rejected the proposal. He stated, “Before renovation, we need to understand the reasons, as this fortification is currently in ruins.”
