Santa Cruz de Tenerife Awards €33.5 Million Contract for 226 Affordable Homes

Santa Cruz de Tenerife has reached a major milestone in its efforts to tackle the local housing crisis. The city council has officially awarded a €33.5 million contract to the construction firm ASCH Infraestructuras y Servicios to build 226 new homes in the Cuevas Blancas area. This project is part of a wider effort to increase the supply of affordable rental properties.

Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and is expected to take 30 months to complete. The development is the result of a partnership between the Canary Islands Housing Institute, the Island Council, and the City Council. Together, they are investing a total of €41.7 million to build 263 homes, which includes the 226 units in Cuevas Blancas and another 37 in María Jiménez. The city is covering the costs for land and infrastructure.

Designed by a team of architects including SIC Arquitectura SLP, Miguel Herraiz Gómez, and Daniel Bergman Vázquez, the Cuevas Blancas project covers over 29,300 square meters. The design features two eight-story buildings, each planned to maximize natural light and airflow, along with 229 parking spaces. The apartments, which will all be used for affordable rentals, will offer a mix of two- and three-bedroom layouts designed for comfortable living.

This initiative highlights how local councils are stepping up to address housing shortages and population growth, even when they do not have direct authority over housing policy. By working together, these institutions have found a way to make large-scale housing projects possible. With the contract now signed, the focus shifts to ensuring the project stays on schedule so these homes can provide much-needed relief to the Southwest district.