Elderly Woman Faces Eviction After Council Halts Rent Aid for Flood-Displaced Residents

Drago Santa Cruz de Tenerife has raised concerns about an 82-year-old woman facing eviction from her home in the María Jiménez neighborhood. The city council has stopped providing her with financial aid, which she relied on to pay her rent.

The woman had been moved into a new home after her original house became uninhabitable following a flood in 2008. At the time, residents had repeatedly warned the city council that a large rock on the hillside above their homes was unstable and could detach.

Firefighters had inspected the area and started putting up fencing, but it didn't fully protect the homes of these families.

After being evacuated, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council promised to cover the rent for these families' new apartments until the area was deemed safe. They also pledged to help with the rehabilitation of their original homes.

However, the council has now ended the rent payments and has not repaired the damaged properties. The 82-year-old woman, who has difficulty moving around and cannot afford rent without the council's support, has been told she must leave her home.

Aitor Montelongo, spokesperson for Drago Santa Cruz de Tenerife, expressed disappointment, stating that "none of the political parties that have been in the City Council over the last 18 years have cared about these families." He added, "it's understandable that people lose faith in politics."

Montelongo acknowledged that this is a unique case but stressed that "precisely because of this, the City Council should take responsibility for repairing the homes." He also highlighted that the council had made a commitment to do so and that the residents are elderly and vulnerable, urging action to prevent the eviction.

Montelongo also pointed out that the core issue is that residents had been warning for years about the danger of the rock falling, and no action was taken, despite it not being their responsibility to fix the problem.