The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, has committed to "continue buying land and ceding it to the Government of the Canary Islands for the construction of new public housing developments on the island", an announcement he made during his visit to the construction works of the 201 homes of autonomous ownership that are currently being built in the Arrecife neighborhood of Maneje.
Betancort, who was accompanied by the general director of Housing of the Government of the Canary Islands, Antonio Ortega, and the Councilor for Housing of the Island Corporation, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, advanced his decision to continue “redoubling efforts” during the second half of the mandate; and "not only in the purchase of land to be ceded to the Government of the Canary Islands, but also in new acquisitions of buildings that will be used for affordable housing rentals and in new lines of subsidies for rent."
“Housing has been one of the main problems we found on the table when we arrived at the Government of the Cabildo, after four years lost in a mandate of ungrateful memory for all”, commented the island's leader. ”Now, the 201 homes in Arrecife will be a reality in the coming months to give them in affordable rental regime to families in Lanzarote and La Graciosa”, commented Oswaldo Betancort on the tour inside some constructions that face their final stretch.
“The Cabildo of Lanzarote is being part of the solution to the state housing crisis, buying land in Arrecife or Uga, as well as buying immobilized homes in Playa Blanca to allocate them to cheap rent for young people and vulnerable families... We are going to continue collaborating decisively with the Government of the Canary Islands”, said Oswaldo Betancort when talking about the effective management policies to feed the island's offer.
For his part, Antonio Ortega, general director of Housing of the Government of the Canary Islands, stressed how these 201 social houses “are a reality”, confirming that “in 2026 they will be available to the citizens of the Island.” Ortega also advanced how the Canarian Executive is modifying the mandatory decree to be able to award these houses to applicants who meet the requirements.
The Councilor for Housing of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, has referred to the joint work of the Island Institution and the Government of the Canary Islands to solve the limitations in the real estate market, also referring to the recent signing of the agreement with the Canarian Housing Institute (ICAVI) to finance from the Cabildo with 1.4 million euros the Youth Rental Bonus, a support aimed exclusively at young residents in Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
The 400 houses of Maneje
The original project for the construction of public housing developments in Arrecife adds a total of 400 homes of public ownership, currently executing those projected in three buildings, of 67 homes each.
According to what they explain from the Cabildo, "this promotion of public housing was initiated in the first presidency of Fernando Clavijo in the regional Government, although then the City Council of Arrecife, governed then by the PSOE, did not do its job and did not cede the land to the Government of the Canary Islands to carry out the tenders and projects."
"Finally, the Canarian president and the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote laid the first stone of these promotions a few months after releasing the current mandate, committing to finish the work in the planned deadlines", they conclude.