60 families face eviction from complex in Playa Blanca over safety concerns
The owners of the long-abandoned housing development near the Faro de Pechiguera in Playa Blanca have requested that Yaiza Town Hall carry out an urgent technical assessment to determine whether the buildings pose a risk of collapse.
The move could potentially lead to the eviction of more than 60 families currently living on the site.
Coral Homes SL, part-owned by CaixaBank and the American investment fund Lone Star, owns the partially constructed development on Plot 146, located near the iconic 19th-century Pechiguera Lighthouse, which is listed as a Site of Cultural Interest.
In a formal request, Coral Homes, who own 35,000 properties across Spain, has asked the council to inspect the structural condition of the unfinished buildings for “damage and weaknesses”, and to assess both “short- and long-term risks” to the safety of the occupants.
As part of this request, the company has urged the council to take “immediate action”, including the recommendation to evict the families currently residing there.
The site, located on Calle Austria, was originally developed by Inversur Lanzarote SL, but construction was halted in 2006 after efforts to lift heritage protections on the nearby lighthouse failed. Since then, the skeletal structures have been left incomplete and unused for nearly two decades.
With the ongoing housing crisis on the island, the abandoned homes have gradually been “occupied” by families, many of whom are hotel and hospitality workers in Playa Blanca, who have made the buildings liveable in hopes of eventually finding affordable accommodation elsewhere.
While Coral Homes initially pursued criminal charges against the occupants for illegal occupation, the courts dismissed the case, stating that criminal protection does not apply when a property owner has shown no interest in the site “for such a significantly long period.” The Court of Arrecife advised the company to pursue civil legal action instead.
Now, Coral Homes is seeking civil eviction proceedings and has requested that the court issue a precautionary measure to remove the residents while the legal process unfolds.
The situation has raised concerns locally, not only due to the safety implications but also because of the lack of alternative housing for the families involved. It remains to be seen how Yaiza Council will respond to the company’s request, or whether any immediate action will be taken.
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