Adeje Council has ordered more than 300 people living illegally in makeshift homes, shacks, and caravans in El Puertito de Adeje in the south of Tenerife, to leave the land within 15 days.

Some of those affected have reportedly lived in the area for around 20 years, and are now asking for an extension to the deadline, warning that many have nowhere else to go.

The El Puertito settlement has been well reported as a shanty town just a short distance from the Bahía Príncipe hotel, and close to the controversial Cuna del Alma development.

Over the years, caravans and makeshift homes, many made from wooden pallets, have increasingly appeared on the land, with those living there saying the severe shortage and high cost of housing in the south of Tenerife has left them with few affordable alternatives.

“They are working people, not hippies”

Talking to Atlantico Hoy, one resident affected by the eviction order, Jennifer López, said the settlement is home to a wide range of people, including pensioners, people with disabilities, families with children and people suffering from health problems.

However, she stressed that many of those living there have jobs and earn regular salaries.

“Most of these people are working people,” she said, adding that she wants to avoid residents being stigmatised simply because they live in substandard or makeshift accommodation.

According to López, many people in the settlement earn around €1,300 per month but face rents of approximately €1,000.

“These aren't people who want to take advantage of benefits. They are working people who earn a salary of €1,300, but rent costs €1,000 and they simply can't afford it. Most of them are working people, they aren't hippies,” she said.

López acknowledges that the land is privately owned and that occupying it without permission is illegal. However, she says building a home there was the only solution she could find to put a roof over her head in the south of Tenerife.

She says hundreds of others have found themselves in a similar position.

Residents ask for more time

Those affected are not asking to be allowed to remain indefinitely, according to López, but want Adeje Council to give them more than 15 days to find somewhere else to live.

They are also calling for Social Services to provide assistance to the most vulnerable residents.

Among the cases highlighted by López is a person living in a caravan that cannot be moved, as well as a widowed father who is supporting four young children on his own.

“We want them to give us time to find somewhere else and to help relocate the most vulnerable people,” she said. “That's the only purpose. We aren't asking for handouts, we're simply asking for more time.”

As part of efforts to secure additional support, López met with the Canary Islands Ombudsman, Lola Padrón, on Thursday and handed over documentation relating to some of the residents.

Council says vulnerable residents are being supported

Adeje Council says it is already working to find solutions for vulnerable people living in the settlement.

According to the local authority, Social Services have contacted 23 people, 18 of whom are already registered on its database.

The council says it has not identified any cases involving what it describes as extreme or urgent needs, and has assured residents that everyone affected will receive appropriate attention.

However, residents claim the situation on the ground is more serious and that some people are extremely distressed by the prospect of losing their homes.

López said the atmosphere in the settlement had previously been peaceful, with neighbours supporting one another and very little concern about crime.

That has changed since the eviction notices began arriving.

Not all residents have yet received their notices, but uncertainty and anxiety have reportedly increased significantly. López said one resident had even spoken about taking their own life because they could see no alternative once they were forced to leave.

No guaranteed alternative accommodation

One of the biggest problems facing the residents is the lack of available public housing.

Adeje Council currently does not have public homes available to offer the most vulnerable people affected by the eviction.

The local authority has been in discussions with the Canary Islands Housing Institute over plans to develop housing in Armeñime, but the project has yet to progress.

For the time being, there is therefore no guaranteed alternative accommodation for many of the more than 300 people facing eviction from El Puertito.

Residents say their immediate priority is for the council to extend the 15-day deadline so they have a realistic opportunity to find somewhere else to live amid Tenerife's ongoing housing shortage.