Clavijo pushes for more public housing and stronger health, education and care support

Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo placed social policies at the centre of his speech during the State of the Nation debate held on Tuesday in the Parliament of the Canary Islands. He defended the progress made in housing, health, education and dependency, and announced new commitments for the remainder of the legislative term.

Tackling the Housing Emergency

• More than 4,000 homes are currently in various stages of planning, construction or rehabilitation.
• The government’s goal is to have over 6,000 public housing units under construction before the end of the mandate.

Clavijo explained that this strategy relies on:

• Activating public land,
• Accelerating licensing procedures, and
• Strengthening the role of the public company Visocan.

He also argued that access to public housing should be linked to “arraigo” (long‑term residence) in the archipelago and reiterated plans to curb purchases of homes by non‑residents. According to him, demographic growth and pressure from the real‑estate market demand decisions that prioritise the resident population.

Improvements in the Dependency System

• Average waiting time has fallen from 782 days to 391 days in just over two and a half years.
• More than 25,000 people have been incorporated into the system.

“We must eliminate waiting lists that exceed the 180‑day limit set by law,” Clavijo said, acknowledging that the current figures are still insufficient.

Health Care Advances

• Surgical waiting lists have been reduced by 11 %, dropping from over 36,000 patients in 2023 to just over 32,000 by the end of 2025.
• The Plan Activa has enabled a record number of operations using the region’s own resources, while also increasing the number of consultations and diagnostic tests.

Education Progress

• Greater stability in teaching staff contracts.
• Progressive reduction of pupil‑teacher ratios in classrooms.
• Strengthening of vocational training linked to strategic sectors such as renewable energy, digitalisation, and the blue economy.

Clavijo also announced the creation of a book bank to guarantee free access to school materials for all students.

A “Canary Islands for the Canarians”

“Our goal is to move towards a ‘Canary Islands for the Canarians’, reinforcing public services and guaranteeing better opportunities for the archipelago’s population,” the president emphasized.

These measures reflect the administration’s commitment to deepen social welfare and improve the quality of life for residents across the Canary Islands.