Tenerife Hosts Third Technical Conference on Homelessness
Tenerife is holding the Third Conference on Extreme Residential Exclusion today (Thursday 8th) at the University of La Laguna. Organised by the Insular Institute of Social and Socio-health Care (IASS) in collaboration with the Coordinad@s group, the event aims to foster dialogue and collective action among local councils, government bodies, and third-sector organisations.
Participating in the conference are all island municipalities, various administrations, and third-sector entities, along with institutions such as the General Directorate of Mental Health of the Canary Islands Government, the Canary Islands Court of Auditors, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and university students. Attendees include municipal social services, mobile support units, accommodation providers, and health professionals. The goal is to share knowledge and experiences and to draw conclusions that will improve existing initiatives.
The Coordinad@s group comprises five organisations: the Nuevo Futuro Tenerife Association, the Good Samaritan Foundation, the Don Bosco Social Foundation, the Spanish Red Cross, and Cáritas Diocesana de Tenerife. They support the IASS in implementing the Strategic Framework for Social and Community Inclusion for People Experiencing Homelessness in Tenerife, approved in 2024. This framework serves as a roadmap for prioritising actions.
Today’s discussions focus on Governance and Knowledge aspects of this framework, which guides work on the island towards prevention, a rights-based approach, and person-centred care, utilising the European ETHOS classification to identify various forms of residential exclusion.
According to the latest island-wide assessment, 2,853 individuals in Tenerife are experiencing extreme residential exclusion, with most sleeping outdoors or in makeshift structures. Many of these individuals also have chronic illnesses or recognised addictions, and dual-diagnosis cases often find it challenging to access appropriate resources.
Águeda Fumero, the Minister of Social Action, highlighted that “each person facing extreme housing emergencies has different causes and needs.” She emphasised the importance of holistic support, recognising the individual’s full circumstances rather than just their housing issue, and called for coordinated responses from all involved.
A significant portion of the conference addresses the challenges of chronic homelessness, including cases that do not fit into available services and individuals who frequently switch between support systems without receiving comprehensive assistance. The Strategic Framework also includes a focus on tailored responses for women, youth, the elderly, migrants, those with disabilities, and mental health needs.
Discussions will also consider a shared intervention methodology and the development of a digital tool to ensure individuals do not have to repeatedly recount their stories during service changes.
Speakers include Pedro José Cabrera Cabrera, a retired professor of Sociology and Social Work at the Pontifical University of Comillas; María Jesús Idoeta Madariaga, the Social Services and Community Action councillor from Donostia-San Sebastián, presenting the Basque Strategy against Severe Residential Exclusion; and Alejandra Rodríguez Alemán, a doctor in Gender Studies from the University of La Laguna, who will discuss gender and homelessness in the Canary Islands. A dialogue panel will feature representatives from Civil Protection, Public Health, Cáritas Diocesana de Tenerife, the Red Cross, and Médecins du Monde.
