Alejandro Marichal: “Homelessness is a complex reality that demands comprehensive responses, not just assistance. We need resources and a clear action plan tailored to the municipality's reality.”
Francis Candil: "We are taking firm steps to improve the institutional response to this reality."
The First Deputy Mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Alejandro Marichal, and the Councilor for Citizen Participation, Ruyman Cardoso, recently held a working meeting with the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare of the Canary Islands Government, Francis Candil, to address the situation of homeless people in the municipality and establish the basis for a joint action plan to address an increasingly visible problem in the south of the island.
The meeting is part of the strategy promoted by the Department of Social Services to establish inter-institutional partnerships and provide the municipality with effective tools to combat social exclusion from a humane and sustainable perspective. During the meeting, the profile of homeless people, the impact this situation has on the urban environment, and the need to strengthen coordination between administrations to develop effective social and community measures were analyzed.
“Homelessness is a complex reality that demands comprehensive responses, not just assistance,” said Alejandro Marichal. “We can't look the other way while people sleep on benches, in plazas, or in vacant lots. We need resources, but also a clear action plan tailored to the municipality's reality.”
For his part, Deputy Minister Francis Candil announced the Canary Islands Government's commitment to strengthening existing social programs in San Bartolomé de Tirajana. Specifically, it was agreed to expand resources and personnel with the goal of more efficiently serving vulnerable groups and preventing situations of extreme social exclusion such as homelessness.
“We are taking firm steps to improve the institutional response to this reality,” Candil said. “Strengthening municipal social services is key to serving not only those already experiencing homelessness, but also to preventing more people from falling into it due to a lack of support or opportunities.”
Both the City Council and the Canary Islands Government agreed on the need to continue making progress in accurately diagnosing homelessness in the municipality and in designing specific lines of action that include social care, psychosocial support, and job placement opportunities.
