The Las Palmas City Council has approved plans to convert 11 publicly owned plots of land in the capital of Gran Canaria into sites for new affordable housing developments, paving the way for the construction of more than 1,800 homes, with the potential to reach 2,000.

The decision, approved during this mornings (Friday) full council meeting, changes the designated use of land currently reserved for public facilities so it can instead be used for publicly promoted protected housing.

According to the council, the move forms part of a wider strategy to tackle the growing demand for affordable homes in the Canary Islands.

Homes Planned Across Six Neighbourhoods

The approved sites are spread across six areas of the city: Tamaraceite, Las Torres, El Batán, Casablanca III, San Lázaro and La Minilla. Together, the 11 plots cover almost 60,000 square metres of municipal land.

Tamaraceite will see the largest development, with two plots totalling more than 28,000 square metres, followed by Las Torres with almost 16,000 square metres. Smaller developments are also planned for Casablanca III, El Batán, San Lázaro and La Minilla.

Plans Revised After Public Consultation

The proposal is based on a study carried out by the city's Municipal Urban Development Company (GEURSA), which identified suitable public land for affordable housing under emergency housing legislation introduced by the Canary Islands Government in 2024.

The original proposal included 14 sites, but this was reduced to 11 following a public consultation and technical review.

More than 200 objections were submitted by residents, homeowners' associations, neighbourhood groups and other organisations during the consultation period.

After reviewing the submissions, the council partially upheld two objections relating to Tamaraceite, resulting in one proposed housing site being removed from the final plan.

The remaining objections were rejected after technical reports concluded that the selected sites comply with regional planning regulations and that converting them to housing would not leave affected neighbourhoods without adequate public facilities.

The council believes the initiative will make a significant contribution towards increasing the supply of affordable housing in Las Palmas as demand continues to outstrip availability across the Canary Islands.