The groups that support the Government of the Canary Islands have validated in the plenary session of the regional Parliament the decree on the residentialization of tourist homes, which allows the temporary suspension of sanctioning procedures but which, according to the PSOE, the main opposition party, "is born dead", because it defends economic powers against those affected.
The initiative has been defended before the plenary session by the Minister of Tourism, Jessica De León, who explained that with this decree the owners of apartments in tourist land who have a sanctioning procedure for using them as a residence can request the suspension of the file for up to three years, while the city council decides on a possible change in the use of the land.
De León pointed out that the specialization of land and the unity of exploitation have been one of the bases of tourism, but in recent years this unity of exploitation has been broken and there has been a residentialization of spaces, in the face of which the administration has to open sanctioning files if there are complaints, because the opposite would be prevarication.
While the law is not changed, this decree allows the suspension of sanctioning procedures at the request of those affected, on a temporary basis from six months to three years, a period for the city council to process a change of use from tourist to residential if requested by the owners.
The minister added that the law is not repealed because there are thousands of owners who are complying with the regulations that require the tourist use of their apartments under the principle of unity of exploitation.
The PSOE deputy Gustavo Santana questioned that the Government acts not to protect "the weakest" who use their properties as a residence, but "certain economic sectors that use their influence and strength to subdue the people affected by this situation".
Those affected feel mistreated and have stated that they are not going to comply with the decree, so it "is born dead", since it forces those affected to recognize "situations that they cannot recognize", through "the policy of the stick and the carrot", and to leave them defenseless, according to Santana.
Esther González, from Nueva Canarias, elaborated on the idea that the Government of the Canary Islands is in fact acting as a "butler" for the de facto powers while proposing "a perverse, restrictive and harmful formula" that expels resident owners from their homes, so that there will be Canarians who "will not be able to live" in certain areas, reserved for "people who come from outside".
The decree forces residents to go through a "diabolical procedure", which consists of declaring themselves illegal. It is as if someone has a car and in order to use it they have to give it to a 'rent a car', he said as an example.
The Vox deputy Paula Jover also showed her rejection of the decree, because it violates the right to property, resident owners are coerced into abandoning their homes and sanctions are not actually suspended.
On the contrary, José Miguel Barragán, from CC, assured that the objective is to solve a problem, that there are 16,000 people who reside in tourist complexes, and that is why a system is enabled for those interested to request the city council to change the classification of their properties, from tourist to residential, and while this procedure is being carried out, the sanctions are suspended.
David Morales, from the PP, regretted that there is an attempt to distort this decree, which addresses the social reality of residentialization, respects municipal autonomy, temporarily suspends sanctioning procedures and prevents a possible expropriation if the home is not used for tourist purposes.
