Tenerife has unveiled its first-ever affordable rental housing plan, known as the Activa Vivienda program, which aims to assist municipalities in acquiring land, and partially completed or unfinished developments. The primary goal is to alleviate one of the key challenges facing residents on the island: the scarcity of social housing for those with low incomes.
This groundbreaking measure was presented yesterday (Wednesday) by the president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, following the approval of the initiative by the Governing Council. The vice president, Lope Afonso, announced that "the Cabildo will lead the search for solutions to the housing problem in Tenerife through such initiatives”.
The Department of Municipal Cooperation and Housing introduced the idea, as a result of a prior agreement with the Canary Islands Housing Institute (Icavi) to financially collaborate with Tenerife municipalities in acquiring houses or land to expand the number of homes available for social rent.
Afonso emphasised the importance of addressing the concerns of Tenerife residents given the shortage of housing options, making it challenging for people to find a home, highlighting that "the reality of Tenerife society must always be a guide to establish the priorities we set from the island's government."
He praised the work of his colleague Sonia Hernández, stating that she achieved a historic agreement allowing the Cabildo to play a more active role in addressing the current housing problem. This signifies an increase and a shift in competency levels to tackle this pioneering project in the islands.
This program aligns with the Housing Plan of the Canary Islands, sharing the goal of promoting rental availability through new construction or private market purchases.
This includes dealings with developers and financial entities to expand the housing tenure in this increasingly sought-after regime by Canarian society. He explained that coordination efforts with all 31 municipalities on the island have been made to address their specific needs effectively.
Rosa Dávila said "With this measure, we aim to respond to one of the main demands of our citizens. We want to lead the search for solutions to the housing access problem." To achieve this, they plan to subsidise Tenerife municipalities, with a maximum of one million euros each, to acquire completed or under-construction homes intended for social rent.
Some land may also be included, although to a lesser extent. The management of these rentals will be handled through the Canary Islands Housing Institute (Icavi) or, in specific cases, by the municipalities themselves.
The initiative includes an obligation to allocate the acquired homes to the rental program for a minimum period of 15 years. The program can be executed until December 31st, 2025.
