The spokesperson for Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista (NC-BC) in Arrecife, Sheila Guillén, has been immersed this week in an expedition to the European Parliament along with other members of the European Free Alliance (EFA), a European political party made up of different territorial formations such as NC-BC, Compromís, and BNG.
Guillén visited Brussels with an intense agenda of meetings focused on different fundamental aspects for the future of Arrecife such as access to housing, urban planning and sustainable mobility, and adaptation to climate change. Thus, she has held conversations with technicians and experts involved in various strategic projects that are currently underway, obtaining information and lines of work that she will transfer to concrete proposals for the capital of Lanzarote.
“I have had the opportunity to be present at several conferences on policies that are being carried out in some European cities regarding urban planning and sustainable mobility and adaptation to climate change. The EU has endless programs in this area with stable funding that can help us implement projects in Arrecife,” says Guillén, who highlights the importance of the EU in transforming the capital and taking a leap in the well-being of the people of Arrecife.”
“We have many opportunities to get Arrecife out of the long lethargy that all the governing groups that have had responsibility have put it in. Much of what happens to us in the capital has to do with the passivity with which challenges are faced, the lack of initiatives and projects of the City Council itself and the political class,” comments the Canarian, who sees that “Arrecife and Lanzarote can aspire to much more than what exists today. We can improve our well-being and plan for the future.”
In terms of housing, Sheila Guillén took the opportunity to learn about some measures that are being carried out in the city of Brussels itself, where its City Council allocates around 10% of its budget to housing policies with acquisition aid (in the form of deductions of registration fees), reduced rate mortgages (Housing fund), energy renovation and facade beautification bonuses, etc. In addition, they maintain an intense policy of revitalizing neighborhoods through public housing operations through public-private partnerships, developing projects that combine public housing, economic areas, community facilities, shops, workshops, schools, cultural spaces..., all within a single multifunctional island to revitalize a city or neighborhood.
“The multifunctional vision in housing policies is very interesting since it is not simply about giving construction licenses, but about creating broad social welfare spaces with quality and accessible public services, universal mobility, cultural offerings, etc. That is planning a city with a future,” argues Guillén.
Overall, the Canarian has worked on this visit to the capital of the EU with Lorena López, head of International Affairs of NC-BC and vice president of the EFA, and the MEP of Compromís, Vicent Marzà, who acted as host in the European Parliament.
