The Municipality of Arona, which includes Los Cristianos and parts of Playa Las Americas, has decided against declaring the area in the south of Tenerife a "stressed area," opting instead to create a public housing company to address housing needs.
The announcement was made by Luis García, the Councillor for Urbanism, who also confirmed that the illegal houses built in Lomo Negro near El Fraile cannot be legalised, even with changes to zoning regulations.
He explained that while the neighbouring municipality of Granadilla de Abona plans to declare itself a "stressed area" by the end of the month, Arona will not follow suit. According to García, this concept is flawed: “Declaring an area as ‘stressed’ or ‘tensioned’ often leads to reduced housing availability. The term suggests rent controls, which in turn discourage homeowners from renting out properties, ultimately driving up the cost of public housing.”
Instead, García outlined two main strategies Arona is pursuing to tackle the housing crisis. First, the municipality plans to allocate land to allow other public authorities, such as the Cabildo, the Canary Islands government, or even the national government, to build public housing.
Second, Arona aims to establish its own public housing company, a project spearheaded by Councillor Sebastián Roque. The initiative would enable the municipality to directly oversee the construction of public housing on its land. García expressed hope that these efforts would bear fruit in the short to medium term, providing affordable housing options for Arona's residents.
Regarding land availability, García acknowledged that although the municipality owns urban land, much of it is not fully serviced with public utilities. To resolve this, Arona is working to purchase land in various areas to increase the housing supply across the municipality.
The housing issue in Arona is compounded by the presence of illegal developments, particularly in Lomo Negro, near El Fraile, where about 100 homes have been built on agricultural land. These houses, which face demolition following a court order, cannot be legalised for at least 20 years after the last sign of construction.
García confirmed that the situation is legally clear and the municipality has engaged in discussions with affected residents. However, finding a solution will be a long and challenging process, requiring collaboration with other public administrations.
He attributed the current housing crisis and the presence of illegal developments to poor urban planning over the last 30 years, and emphasised that past administrations prioritised other uses of land, pushing public housing to the bottom of the agenda.
With Arona's population exceeding 100,000 residents, García stressed that the current administration views housing as a top priority, aiming to provide residents with dignified living conditions.
The issue of illegal tourist rentals has also contributed to housing challenges in Arona, particularly in Los Cristianos, where many residential buildings are being used for holiday lets. García explained that current laws allow tourist use of residential properties, and the local government is now grappling with how to regulate this to preserve residential areas. The councillor called for thoughtful, legally sound solutions to balance tourism and housing needs.
