Rootedness and residency: new criteria for public housing allocation in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands Government has approved a decree that replaces the lottery system with an objective scoring model, tightens residency requirements, and expands reservation quotas for priority groups.

Main Changes to the Public Housing Allocation System

The Council of Government approved a new decree regulating the Public Housing Applicants Registry and the allocation regime for publicly promoted housing. The key reforms are:

• Elimination of the lottery: Allocation will now be based on a transparent, objective scoring system that evaluates verifiable economic, social, and family criteria for each household.
• Stricter residency and “arraigo” (rootedness) requirements:
  • Applicants must be adults or emancipated minors, registered in the system, and demonstrate at least 12 uninterrupted years of residence in the Canary Islands (or 15 years if the residence has been discontinuous).
  • They must also have lived or worked continuously for a minimum of five years in the municipality where the housing project is located, prior to the publication of the allocation procedure.
  • An exemption applies to victims of gender‑based violence who were forced to leave their usual municipality, provided they can prove the circumstance under national law.
• Simplified registration: No prior appointment or in‑person appearance is required. Applicants submit an online form together with a self‑declaration confirming they meet the eligibility criteria.
• Expanded reservation quotas for vulnerable groups:
  • 10 % for people with severe or total functional limitations (mobility or communication).
  • 20 % for young people up to 35 years old.
  • 10 % for seniors aged 65 or older.
  • 8 % for victims of gender‑based violence.
  • Up to 1 % reserved for returned emigrants.

“This update reinforces the social character of the public housing system and prioritises those with the strongest ties to the territory and the greatest social needs,” the regional government stated.

Emergencies, Dependency, Universities: Additional Agreements of the Council

Canary Islands Creates Dependency Grade III+ and Introduces Personal Assistance Benefit

• A new Grade III+ has been created for extreme dependency cases, especially for terminal patients with ALS, providing intensive home support.
• The decree also establishes the Personal Economic Assistance for Personal Care (PEAP), allowing families to combine home‑help services with a personal assistance benefit.
• Maximum monthly amounts: €900 for Grade III, €577.25 for Grade II, and €436 for Grade I.

Government Launches the Future Canary Islands Emergency and Civil Protection Agency

• The executive approved the feasibility study and the legislative project to create the Canary Islands Agency for Emergencies and Civil Protection.
• The agency will have its own autonomy, draft regulations, update territorial civil‑protection plans, and coordinate actions with public and private entities.
• As a first step, around one hundred emergency‑related workers are being transferred from the General Secretariat of the Presidency (GSC) to the agency’s operational unit, Gesplan.

Canary Islands Approves the 2026‑2031 Health Plan

• The Health Plan 2026‑2031 outlines five thematic blocks, 49 priority lines, 147 specific objectives, and 280 evaluation indicators.
• Its two strategic pillars are:
  1. “Health in All Policies” – fostering inter‑institutional collaboration.
  2. Improving health outcomes – focusing on high‑impact health issues and cost‑effectiveness.

Specialized Health Care Contract Extended for Southern Gran Canaria

• The Council authorized the first extension of the specialized health‑care contract for the south‑east of Gran Canaria, allocating €16.74 million.
• The contract covers the primary health centres of Maspalomas, Mogán, Tirajana, and Vecindario from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027, ensuring continued local access and relieving pressure on the Insular‑University Hospital.

Universities Update the Regulation for Official Degree Programs

• A new decree will replace Decree 168/2008, aligning regional university‑degree regulations with current national legislation.
• The reform aims to simplify administrative procedures, reduce bureaucratic burdens, and set a maximum deadline for issuing the Need and Viability Academic‑Social (INVAS) report.

These measures collectively aim to make public housing allocation fairer and more transparent, while also strengthening social services, health care, emergency response, and higher‑education governance across the Canary Islands.