The Young and Empty Housing Exchange program, managed by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Youth and Housing of the Canary Islands Government, facilitated accommodation for rent or ownership to a total of 1,427 young people in the last three years.
The management of the mortgage product of the Government of the Canary Islands mobilized on the island in this period a total of 100,521,521.50 euros in the granting of loans to 982 young people from Lanzarote who bought their first home through the Canarian Youth Mortgage.
The head of Housing of the Government of the Canary Islands, Inés Rojas, explained that from May 8, 2007, the date on which the first office of the Exchange was opened on the island, until May 31 of this year, this program facilitated rental accommodation to 445 young people and the purchase of a home to 982 young people.
By municipalities, in these three years, in Arrecife 302 young people accessed a home for rent and 417 for purchase; in San Bartolomé, there were 65 for rent and 178 for purchase; in Teguise, 21 for rent and 184 for ownership; in Tinajo, 4 for rent and 58 for ownership; in Yaiza, 42 for rent and 72 for ownership; in Tías, 9 for rent and 43 for ownership; and in Haría, 2 for rent and 30 for ownership.
In these first five months of the year alone, the Exchange office has managed a home for 212 young people from Lanzarote, 138 for rent and 74 who have signed the Canarian Youth Mortgage, with which 156 homes have been mobilized.
Rojas highlighted that the actions planned in the new Canarian Housing Plan, aimed at facilitating housing for young people aged 18 to 35, increase by 86 percent compared to the previous plan. With the new Canarian Housing Plan, she said, the Young Housing program is maintained, one of the sectors of the population with the greatest difficulties in accessing housing".
"We maintain such an advantageous product so that our youth can buy their first home, such as the Canarian Youth Mortgage, with the addition that they can aspire to the extra aid of up to 12,000 euros for the entry, and we promote renting by maintaining aid to both the tenant and the owner who wants to rent their home", said Inés Rojas.
The counselor highlighted that the Government of the Canary Islands is one of the few communities that mediates in the free market despite only having competence in protected housing, "and we have been doing so for more than 10 years, through the Young and Empty Housing Exchange, with the double objective of continuing to protect our territory and facilitate access to a home in decent conditions for all families".