Lanzarote misses out on rental aid while 118 public homes are on the way

Housing has dominated the week in Lanzarote, with two issues that directly affect the people who live and work on the island: state rental subsidies that cannot yet be applied for, and new public homes at affordable prices.

Aid that is not arriving

The Lanzarote branch of the PSOE says the island has been left out of a 90-million-euro package of state rental subsidies. According to the socialists, the reason is that the Canary Islands government has not declared any stressed residential market zones, a mandatory condition for accessing the aid. Their general secretary, María Dolores Corujo, blames the regional president, Fernando Clavijo, and the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort. In practice, until that declaration exists no tenant in Lanzarote can apply, even if they meet the income requirements.

A market that pushes people out

September's figures confirm what many families already experience. The median rent is around 1,250 euros a month, and buying a typical home costs more than 255,000 euros, with double-digit rises in a year. Long-term rental supply is minimal: the main property portals list only a few dozen homes across the whole island, many of them seasonal lets. Meanwhile, the number of holiday rentals has doubled in three years and now exceeds 11,000. The result is familiar: families sharing flats, workers living in rented rooms and young people unable to leave home.

Public housing: timeline and what to expect

The most tangible news comes from the Cabildo, which is moving ahead with the purchase of 76 homes in Playa Blanca for around 11 million euros, funded jointly with the Canary Islands government. The valuation was scheduled for mid-September and the deal is expected to close between the end of the month and October. A further 42 homes already purchased are awaiting the call for applications to be let at affordable rents. Anyone interested should follow the official announcements from the Cabildo and the Canary Islands Housing Institute, as the rules will set requirements on residency registration, income and family circumstances.

What could change

Betancort has called for a halt to new tourist licences in areas under residential pressure. Declaring stressed zones would not only unlock the state aid but also allow rent caps in the affected areas.

For residents, the conclusion is clear: the tools exist on paper, but they depend on political decisions still pending. In the meantime, the public homes in Playa Blanca are the most immediate route to an affordable rental.