Tenerife Approves First 44 Public Housing Units in Los Realejos and Santiago del Teide

Tenerife Island Council's Vice President, Lope Afonso, announced on Tuesday that the council will approve the construction of the first 44 public housing units. These homes will be built in Los Realejos (27 units) and Santiago del Teide (17 units).

Afonso and Sonia Hernández, the Island Council's Housing Councillor, explained that these homes are part of an agreement with the Canary Islands Government, through the Canarian Housing Institute. This agreement will allow for the direct construction of up to 257 public homes in other towns on the island, including Güímar (30), San Miguel (90), El Sauzal (17), Granadilla (47), and El Rosario (29).

Last July, the council approved the contract for drafting the projects, managing the construction, and building homes in 5 of these towns. The ICAVI will handle the project drafts for El Sauzal and Granadilla.

Hernández stated that this is the largest public housing contract in Tenerife's history, marking a significant step in addressing citizens' housing concerns.

The initial investment for these 44 homes is almost 10 million euros (€9,882,485.16 to be exact). The Island Council is funding 42.89% of this, while the ICAVI is contributing the remaining 57.115%. This is part of a larger agreement totaling almost 40 million euros.

Afonso anticipates awarding the remaining public housing lots in the coming weeks. This confirms the council's commitment to finding solutions to the housing access problems faced by the people of Tenerife.

He emphasized that they are already seeing results from the work that began in 2023, through various plans and programs with significant budget commitments from the Island Council and other administrations.

Afonso also mentioned other initiatives, such as the 'Activa' Land and Housing program and the Housing Rehabilitation Program, which aim to make the Island Council a valuable resource for addressing social needs related to housing access.