Nueva Canarias believes that the 183 public housing units in the Tinasoria urbanization of Arrecife, and the neighborhood in general, have suffered in the last decade the "abandonment of public powers". And, in response, it has requested the urgent rehabilitation of the capital neighborhood. The formation has prepared a proposal to be debated in the Arrecife Plenary and has collected the signatures of more than 300 residents who support it. In addition, it has announced that it will present a non-legal proposition in the Parliament of the Canary Islands. The municipal proposal requests more cleaning in public spaces, that the luminaires be repaired and that social emergency aid be increased, among other measures.
Regarding these public housing units, the party regrets that, "despite the need to carry out a comprehensive rehabilitation plan that allows residents to undertake important reforms that enable compliance with current accessibility and energy efficiency regulations, the City Council has not promoted a project" in this regard. They add that this has been done in other Canarian municipalities, in order to "agree between all administrations" the actions and financing necessary to undertake these works.
The party also emphasizes that these are "very expensive" works that the residents do not have the "economic capacity" to face. "Therefore, they must be included in the appropriate Housing Plan", says NC, which recalls that these houses were built in 1988 by the Government of the Canary Islands, and were, therefore, properties owned by the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, "until access to ownership was favored for its current tenants and the corresponding public deeds of sale were formalized".
"Precarious conditions" and "absolute abandonment"
"On the other hand, this regrettable situation is also compounded by the neglect and lack of responsibility of the City Council, which has condemned this urbanization, during the last years, to conditions of absolute abandonment", adds NC. The formation considers it "shameful that in a capital like Arrecife there are neighborhoods in such precarious conditions, both hygienic and security". As "proof" it cites the "abandonment" of its parks, the "considerable deterioration" of streets and public facilities such as the playground, which NC denounces that, in addition to having a large part of its furniture "broken", has become a place where, "in the absence of containers, garbage is deposited". It also mentions the "lack of cleaning in certain places or the lack of lighting". This, in the party's opinion, "makes it a risk for residents to simply go out at night, as citizen insecurity has increased in recent years due to this situation and also to the lack of police presence".
Nueva Canarias also emphasizes that, as a consequence of the "high unemployment rates and the risk of social exclusion" in which many families living in this neighborhood find themselves, "it is absolutely necessary that the City Council increase social emergency aid, to assist the most needy families, those who have serious difficulties in meeting the payment of basic services such as electricity or water, or who, due to family burdens and not having income in the family, have problems covering basic needs such as food".
The proposal specifically requests that streets and sidewalks of the urbanization and its surroundings be cleaned, "at least twice a week and permanently over time", that "all" the luminaires of public lighting be replaced, that cleaning and maintenance tasks of public gardens be carried out weekly, that home service aid and social emergency aid be increased, to meet the basic needs of the population in a situation of social exclusion or at risk of being so, that social services be decentralized, to "bring them closer" to the neighborhood, and that the security of residents and surveillance in the area be improved with a greater presence of the Local Police.
Preparation of reports to draft a rehabilitation project
NC also requests that, by the municipal technical services, a report be made, within 3 months, taking into account the opinion and collaboration of the residents, on the need to carry out a "comprehensive rehabilitation" of the urbanization, "improving sidewalks, parks and garden areas, as well as the adaptation of buildings, carrying out works to recover structural elements, improve accessibility, adapt common elements and improve the habitability of homes".
Finally, the party demands in its proposal that, once the report has been made, the drafting of a "basic project of building rehabilitation and urban renewal" of the Tinasoria urbanization be commissioned "based on the needs raised" and that the signing of an agreement for the financing of the works be negotiated with the Island Council, the Government of the Canary Islands and the Ministry of Development.
