Common Deputy to Aid Santa Cruz on Homeless Crisis

The Office of the Common Deputy, led by Dolores Padrón, will help the Santa Cruz City Council. This comes after Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez asked for support last week because the city is struggling with over 730 homeless people, many of whom have mental health issues.

Padrón told DIARIO DE AVISOS that "the problem of homelessness is huge, and city councils shouldn't have to solve it alone. That's why we will support local councils." She added that her office will specifically back Santa Cruz's mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez. They will meet on November 11 to discuss the issue. Padrón stated, "We will work together to tackle, focus on, and improve the situation through various solutions that I, as the Common Deputy, can suggest."

She announced that this meeting will look at available resources for homelessness and its causes, aiming to find common solutions. The high commissioner of the regional Parliament has already started gathering information. Padrón explained, "The mayor called me personally to share his worry about the rise in homeless people and those with mental health problems in the city, and the lack of help from relevant authorities. So, we've started our own investigation and are asking for reports from NGOs and charity groups, as well as from large cities like Arona, La Laguna, Telde, and Las Palmas, to see if they face similar issues with homelessness."

Padrón stressed that this is a widespread problem that isn't the same everywhere, but "local councils cannot be left alone." She repeated that "the Office of the Common Deputy will stand by city councils because it's a serious issue. Ultimately, these are people who lose their dignity and are forced to live on the streets, losing all their rights."

Padrón explained that initial reports show "the profiles of homeless people vary by location. Housing is the main cause of homelessness, and this is clear in most complaints we receive. So, it's not just about mental health problems."

She also noted, "Another point is that the Government of the Canary Islands or the Island Council have announced plans for homelessness, but the reality is there's a clear crisis with no solution, as the mayor pointed out. It's understandable that city councils are overwhelmed because they manage shelters and need more resources."

Padrón clarified that just as homelessness differs by municipality, so do the solutions needed. For example, Arona is counting its homeless population and found that 90% are foreign nationals. In Santa Cruz, reports show 55% are from other municipalities. She concluded, "What's clear is there's a lot of work to do, and the Autonomous Community cannot stay out of this process."