Icod de los Vinos Launches First Social Housing Project in Two Decades

Icod de los Vinos is taking steps to build social housing for the first time in 20 years. The City Council has opened a tender for urbanization work on an 1,808-square-meter municipal plot near Calle Cecilio Montes and the local senior day center. This project will prepare the land for the construction of 17 new homes.

The project has a budget of over 400,000 euros and is expected to take five months to complete. This work is a necessary first step before the land can be transferred to the Cabildo de Tenerife, which will oversee the construction of the homes through its "Activa Suelo" program. The plan includes installing basic services, lighting, and supply networks, as well as a wider urban reorganization. Due to the area’s volcanic terrain, the project requires building on solid rock, creating a new access road, and upgrading local water infrastructure. Interested companies have until May 20 to submit their bids.

While the local government does not have direct authority over housing, it is focusing on making public land available to support the work of regional institutions. This initiative is part of a broader strategy that also includes reviving the "Moleiro" housing project in the Santa Bárbara neighborhood, where construction on 58 townhouses was stalled in 2008. By combining these two projects, the City Council hopes to add 75 new units to the public housing stock during this term.

This move comes as many municipalities across the Canary Islands struggle with a shortage of affordable housing. Cooperation between local councils and the Cabildo is becoming a vital way to overcome the budget and legal hurdles that have long delayed public housing projects in the region.