The Vice President of the Cabildo de Tenerife and Minister of Tourism, Lope Afonso, declared yesterday that by the end of next year, 1,000 new residences for social and affordable rental will be available, in partnership with the local councils. Afonso emphasised that Tenerife “will be the first council in the Canary Islands to take the initiative in constructing public housing, utilising the powers granted by the Law to facilitate this.”
This was detailed during an informational gathering organised by the Popular Party in a hotel in La Laguna, where they presented the primary action lines for 2025 within the areas overseen by the Cabildo, which Afonso referred to as “Tenerife Azul.” These initiatives represent roughly half of the Corporation’s budget, which totals 1,230 million euros.
Of the anticipated thousand homes to be launched, 700 will arise from the Activa Suelo and Activa Vivienda programmes. The remaining 300 will be constructed by the Cabildo using its own resources, approximately 13 million euros, for which negotiations are ongoing to establish an agreement with the Government of the Canary Islands, who will provide the necessary land across various municipalities in Tenerife.
Lope Afonso highlighted several key projects for his group, including the Islénior programme, aimed at enhancing the social involvement of the elderly, and the revitalisation of public areas in tourist towns, to “recover spaces that have fallen into disuse, improve accessibility, and create refreshed green and recreational zones,” he stated. Additionally, he noted the enhancement of the island’s industrial estates, indicating that “we have invested nearly 16 million euros, a 19% increase, into a strategic sector that has lacked a coherent island policy.”
The Vice President also set forth as a goal for 2025 “to tackle the drought challenge by upgrading water infrastructure, demonstrating a clear commitment to the primary sector, to which we shall allocate 38 million euros.”
In his overview of all management domains, Lope Afonso referred to the expansion of the animal shelter network in Tenerife, the strengthening of the arts district, the upgrade of open shopping areas, and enhancements to sports facilities.
Moreover, he mentioned several strategic initiatives, including the city of cinema, “an ambitious private project designed to bolster a sector that is establishing itself on the Island and is increasingly drawing external investment.”
During the Q&A session, participants questioned the Vice President regarding the tourism model, which he acknowledged “could be improved” and advocated that “greater profitability leads to more stable employment of the highest quality.” He expressed support for “updating salaries, always in accordance with collective bargaining between representatives of workers and businesses.”
