The PSOE of San Bartolomé de Tirajana calls for greater investment in public housing from the Canary Islands Government at the 2nd Fayna Noda Lecture Series.

 

PSOE Housing, vacation rentals, and residentialization of tourist areas. The Socialist Party of San Bartolomé de Tirajana opened its offices to residents, interested parties, and those affected this Saturday, May 10, to discuss three of the main social issues at the second edition of the Fayna Noda Classroom. This event was open to the public and was attended by the Platform of People Affected by the Tourism Law and the Canary Islands Vacation Rental Association, as well as the Vice President of the Gran Canaria Island Council, Augusto Hidalgo. 

 

The meeting, held at the Playa del Inglés Island Tourism Center in front of around 80 attendees, is a proposal by the PSOE (Socialist Workers' Party) of San Bartolomé de Tirajana that aims to "establish a space for completely open and fearless debate. Politics outside the offices seeks to improve and help citizens in their daily lives," explained Concepción Narváez, spokesperson for the Socialist Municipal Group. 

 

The event was attended by Maribé Doreste, president of the Platform for People Affected by the Tourism Law, and Doris Borrego, president of the Canary Islands Vacation Rental Association, to discuss the issues at hand. Also participating were Augusto Hidalgo, Councilor for Housing for the Gran Canaria Island Council; Carlos Álamo, Councilor for Tourism for Gran Canaria and Secretary General of the Socialist Party of San Bartolomé; Gustavo Santana, Member of the Canary Islands Parliament for the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE); Maribel Santana, Regional Secretary for Housing for the PSOE Canarias Executive Committee; Nayra Alemán, Member of the Canary Islands Parliament for the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE); Kevin Paz, Island Secretary for Tourism for the PSOE Gran Canaria; and Pilar Grande, President of the PSOE of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. 

 

 

Narváez gave a presentation to the three groups. The first group was led by Augusto Hidalgo and Carlos Álamo, councilor of the Gran Canaria Island Council, along with journalist Carlos Sosa as moderator. They addressed the issues of access to housing. Before that, Narváez paid tribute to Fayna Noda, who ran for Aldea Blanca in the 2003 elections, the youngest candidate at just 23 years old. “Fayna taught us to pursue a policy that is accessible, based on debate, engagement, and the search for solutions, and this group, like the rest of the PSOE's policies, is open to anyone in the municipality who wants to participate,” Nárvaez explained.

 

“As politicians, our priority objective should be to find ways to improve the quality of life of our residents, and I believe this citizen-friendly proposal, dedicating an entire day to debate the issues that concern them most, is our obligation. Therefore, I am committed to repeating these types of actions, which are positive for both us and the citizens,” stated Carlos Álamo.

 

Need for public housing

The Housing Minister of the Gran Canaria Island Council, Augusto Hidalgo, stated that the medium- and long-term problem can be solved with a decisive commitment to the construction of public housing, something that, since it hasn't occurred except in waves and under low-quality conditions, as in the 50s, 80s, and 90s, has led to emergency measures. Hidalgo referred to the Dutch model, in which 33% of housing is allocated to subsidized housing, and they have been working for many years to have a public housing stock that also rotates, 20% for rent. In Austria, the figure is 3%, with a greater presence of long-term rentals. "Meanwhile, in Spain, we're at 2%, and in the Canary Islands, we're under XNUMX%. Now, the government has acted for the first time with a Housing Law that allows for intervention in prices and has given city councils the power to do so. But it's the autonomous community that implements it, and it hasn't done so." In Catalonia, it was implemented more than a year ago, and the truth is that there has been a drop in rental prices. It has had an impact and cushions the critical situation caused by rising prices in large cities.

 

“We have to focus on the basics. We have to build housing, and the truth is that eight years ago, there wasn't even a housing plan. The current one was created by the Canary Islands Government, under the Pacto de las Flores (Flower Pact), and without it, there wouldn't even be a proposal for the construction and renovation of housing in the Canary Islands. Previously, the entire housing policy had been dismantled for almost 20 years. Some of the regulations being passed go against municipal powers, and the serious thing is that they aren't allocating resources to build housing,” he noted. 

 

Carlos Álamo was interested in the situation of the municipality's disused shopping centers and the possibility of converting them into housing to alleviate the needs of residents. One way to incentivize owners could be to change to mixed use, with apartments for those living in the tourist area.  

 

Maribe Donate, the representative of the Platform of People Affected by the Tourism Law, rejected the Canary Islands government's proposal, which she asserted stems from the current Vacation Home Law. She stated, "They want to force us to plead guilty for living in our homes and for legally using them as we have always done. It's a way of making us go on our knees to demand a use we already have, and then they'll decide the conditions. It's an insult to our intelligence. It doesn't suspend the fines. What it's asking for is that you plead guilty. Furthermore, they're asking for a €64.000 study so they can then decide whether to grant us that approval."

 

For his part, Gustavo Santana explained that the aim of residentialization is to focus on a legal and regulatory defect affecting those who have purchased a home and live there. Santana asserted that the government is benefiting business sectors. "This governing group has come to govern for very specific economic interests, and it is important for us that this debate not die," he stated before thanking the San Bartolomé council for opening up to debate the amendments. "The political weight of the municipal government, made up of the People's Party (PP) and the CC (CC), must force the Canary Islands Parliament to change its position for a promising future for those who have lived in their homes for years," he concluded.

 

Vacational/Holiday

At the panel dedicated to Vacation Rentals, Doris Borrego, president of the Vacation Rental Association, explained that "there is a restrictive bill that attempts to justify the housing shortage in the Canary Islands, when vacation rentals represent only 4,6% of the total housing stock in the Canary Islands." Borrego indicated that her association has presented independent and external data and reports indicating that the impact on vacation rentals is a residual factor. She also noted that "there are more than 200.000 vacant homes in the Canary Islands, and it is estimated that we need 30.000 more. Therefore, we believe that with action by the Canary Islands Government, these homes can easily be put on the market." 

 

“Vacation homes are necessary in the Canary Islands because they democratize tourism, which until now had been in the hands of a few. The Regional Ministry estimates that approximately €1.700 billion remains in the Canary Islands and is taxed in the Canary Islands. It's also a great opportunity for young people and small businesses that have been established as managers of these vacation homes. The economy it distributes is transversal and a wealth that cannot be left in the hands of just four people. Tourism is the heritage of all Canarians, and the Canary Islands Government must respect this,” Borrego concluded.   

 

Finally, Maribel Santana explained that the Socialist Party in the Canary Islands government is against the law because it doesn't distinguish between large property owners and small property owners. "We believe the vacation rental sector cannot be blamed for the rental problem in the Canary Islands. There are many other factors, including the lack of a plan to build as the population grew. In fact, we went 12 years without a housing plan until we approved the latest plan in 2020, which is the one currently in force," she explained.