Vallehermoso has one of the highest rates of empty housing in La Gomera

A large, sparsely populated municipality

Population loss in rural areas has translated into a housing stock with many empty properties.

Second homes used only in summer

Families who emigrated to Tenerife return only during holiday periods.

Mid-altitude villages with more closed houses than open ones

In Chipude or El Cercado, closed homes outnumber those permanently inhabited.

Attempts to bring empty housing back into use

The town council is exploring tax breaks to encourage renting.

A municipality shaped by emigration to Tenerife

Emigration to Tenerife, particularly to the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz and La Laguna, has been a constant in Vallehermoso since the middle of the last century, when many families sought work opportunities there that they could not find in the municipality. That population outflow left behind a housing stock that is large relative to the number of actual residents, much of it in the hands of descendants born and raised off the island. For many of these families, the house in Vallehermoso retains sentimental value that does not always translate into a genuine intention to return. This disconnect between ownership and permanent residence explains much of today's empty housing stock.

The ravines and terrain as an added factor

Vallehermoso's extensive municipal area is arranged around deep ravines and scattered mid-altitude settlements, a settlement pattern that makes access difficult and drives up the cost of any public service aimed at keeping those villages inhabited. This geographical dispersal means the homes furthest from the main town are the first to fall empty when a family decides to move. Council officials acknowledge that reversing this trend would require investment in access roads and services that the municipal budget can barely shoulder alone. In this sense, the terrain acts as a factor that worsens depopulation beyond simple economic emigration.

Chipude and El Cercado, symbols of the phenomenon

The villages of Chipude and El Cercado, traditionally known for their pottery, clearly illustrate the scale of the problem: their streets contain well-kept homes belonging to residents who still live there year-round alongside others that have stood closed and visibly deteriorating for decades. Local artisans lament that the loss of resident population also threatens the survival of traditional trades that depend on direct family transmission. Some of these empty houses could have heritage value if restored in time, according to the Cabildo's culture officials. Deterioration, however, is progressing faster than any recovery initiative announced so far.

Tax breaks, a plan still to be finalised

The municipal government has proposed discounts on the IBI property tax and other local charges for owners who put their empty homes up for rent at affordable prices, a measure already applied with mixed results in other rural municipalities in the Canary Islands. The proposal has the backing of residents' associations, though some opposition councillors doubt it will be enough without being paired with direct renovation grants. While the final design of the measure is being worked out, the stock of empty housing keeps growing slowly but steadily. The town council hopes to present a concrete programme in the next municipal budget.