The Cabildo of Fuerteventura has identified around thirty empty or unfinished buildings across the island. The idea is to acquire and rehabilitate them to add hundreds of homes without consuming new land.
An inventory by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, compiled with data from the six municipalities, counts around thirty abandoned or unfinished buildings scattered throughout the island. President Lola García has announced that the institution is considering giving them a second life as protected housing, without the need to occupy more land. The exact number of potential homes is still unknown, but it could reach hundreds.
An island-wide diagnosis of abandoned properties
In 2025, the Cabildo requested reports from all municipalities regarding the legal status of these properties. The results reveal seven buildings in Puerto del Rosario, eight in La Oliva –including the derelict complex of Las Agujas and the structure of La Miranda–, four in Antigua, four in Tuineje, one in Pájara, and three homes in Betancuria in the hands of Sareb. President García explained that the aim is to "see the legal situation of each building and the possibility of acquiring them to give them life, avoiding land consumption."
A housing strategy on three fronts
The initiative is part of a broader plan that includes the construction of 224 new homes –77 in La Oliva, 99 in Puerto del Rosario, and 48 in Pájara– with 26.7 million euros in state, regional, and Cabildo funding. Additionally, the rehabilitation of 768 homes in La Oliva, Puerto del Rosario, and Tuineje is planned, with an investment of 19 million. In total, the island will have 992 homes between new and rehabilitated, with a global budget of 45.7 million. García emphasised that the Cabildo has 150 million in reserves and would be willing to allocate up to 50 million to rehabilitate the cascarones: "We can put 50 million to invest in housing without consuming land," she stated.
The impact on the daily lives of residents
For the residents of Fuerteventura, this measure represents hope amid the of housing. According to data from Idealista, the price per square metre in La Oliva has risen from 2,069 euros in 2019 to 3,531, and in Puerto del Rosario from 1,254 to 2,112. The president recalled that in the last legislative term "not a single block was laid for housing" and that now, thanks to the emergency housing decree in the Canary Islands, the cabildos can promote protected housing. The expectation is that the first rehabilitations will begin in the coming months, once agreements with the regional government are finalised.
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