Tenerife: More than 2,800 people are living on the streets due to the housing crisis
On Tenerife, more than 2,800 people live on the streets due to a housing crisis, forcing authorities to develop an aid program worth over 1.6 million euros.
In Tenerife, more than 2,800 people live outdoors. This is according to a report on homelessness prepared by Caritas. These data were released at a special event dedicated to this problem.
It turned out that the most homeless people are in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (37.1% of the total). Next are Arona (10.8%), Adeje (9.5%), Puerto de la Cruz (9.5%), La Laguna (8.4%) and Granadilla de Abona (6.3%).
Caritas explains that this is due to the fact that housing rentals are constantly becoming more expensive, and there is less and less affordable housing. Because of this, more and more people are ending up on the streets.
The report says that the housing crisis has affected 31 municipalities in Tenerife. Caritas takes into account not only those who sleep on the street, but also those who live in places unfit for habitation, temporary shelters, and do not have normal housing.
In 2024, 2,838 people found themselves in a difficult housing situation. This shows that the problem with affordable housing is becoming more acute, and the social protection system is not coping.
Government officials emphasize that it is necessary to more actively help people who find themselves homeless. They want to help local communities solve this problem and prevent people from living on the streets for years.
Currently, the authorities are developing a program to help the homeless, for which more than 1.6 million euros have been allocated. This program should help people find work, get medical care and housing. It also provides assistance to people with mental health problems and women who find themselves on the street.
The event dedicated to the problem of homelessness was attended by more than 170 specialists and organizations that help such people. They discussed how to better help the homeless, how to provide them with housing, and how important it is to cooperate with each other.
Caritas emphasizes that homelessness is a complex problem that needs to be addressed at the state level. They demand that the authorities guarantee the right to housing, as required by law.