Vivian Suárez, a 61-year-old woman suffering from cancer and fibromyalgia, faces severe housing challenges in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. She lives in a fifth-floor storage room without a lift, relying on a friend for accommodation. Climbing and descending the steep stairs takes her up to two hours, making it difficult for her to buy food or attend medical appointments. “I often go hungry here,” she said.
Originally from Cuba, Vivian moved to the Canary Islands in 2019, seeking a better life as her parents and grandparents were from the area. After a period of working, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and later with aggressive breast cancer, which has left her disabled and reliant on numerous medications.
Vivian receives a monthly benefit of €733 from the Canary Islands’ citizenship grant and has been recognised as 49% disabled. However, she cannot afford to pay rent for a small studio flat, the minimum she claims she needs. Her friend has kindly provided the storage room temporarily, but he needs it back by the end of August for family use. Vivian acknowledges his generosity but insists she requires proper accommodation due to her worsening health.
She has actively sought help from various institutions, applying for the Canarias Prohogar programme aimed at individuals in urgent need, but she was told she hasn’t submitted all necessary documentation. Vivian argues that her situation—being disabled and facing imminent eviction—should qualify her for immediate assistance.
She also applied for protected housing in May, highlighting her disability, though no allocations have been made this year despite over 34,000 applicants in the islands.
Vivian has kept comprehensive documentation of her efforts to secure housing and has contacted local authorities for support. While she has seen interest from the ombudsperson’s office and has reached out to the Defender of the People, responses from local government regarding her plight have been limited.
Determined to find a suitable home, Vivian continues her fight for better living conditions. She has fallen several times and worries that her current living space is not safe for her health and well-being.
