Valleseco Launches Pioneering Public Cohousing Project
The Town Hall of Valleseco has initiated the tender process for the construction of the municipality’s first publicly-funded collaborative housing (cohousing) project. This pioneering initiative in the Canary Islands will create 14 residential cohousing units, designed to promote community living, renewable energy self-sufficiency, and help fix the population in a rural setting.
A Strategic Investment for the Municipality’s Future
The municipal government has approved the start of the contracting process for the work, officially titled ‘Building for the Implementation and Promotion of Cohousing and Collaborative Housing in the Municipality of Valleseco’. The project will be processed via a simplified open procedure with multiple award criteria. It has a base tender budget of €1.8 million (including IGIC tax) and an estimated contract value of €1.7 million. The funding is a joint effort from the Gran Canaria Council’s Department of Institutional Cooperation and International Solidarity, the Gran Canaria Housing Consortium, and a municipal contribution, reaffirming public administrations’ commitment to new housing solutions adapted to current social realities.
The works will have a 12-month execution period. Interested companies can submit their bids until 14:00 on 26 December 2025 via the Public Sector Procurement Platform. The opening of financial bids is scheduled for 29 December 2025.
An Innovative and Socially Sustainable Residential Model
The project will involve the refurbishment of a traditional house located at 12 Calle Párroco Marrero Díaz, along with its extension onto two adjoining rural plots. This will form a residential complex with a total surface area of approximately 2,200 square metres. The complex will feature 14 private dwellings, each about 45 square metres, conceived for individual or family use. These will be complemented by extensive common areas, including a shared kitchen, communal living spaces, community gardens, vertical greenery, and parking zones.
This collaborative housing model promotes a way of life based on cooperation, mutual support, and resource optimisation. It also incorporates energy efficiency and self-sufficiency criteria, aligning with sustainability and ecological transition goals.
Cooperative Management and Lifelong Use
The homes are intended to form a public collaborative community, which will be managed through a cooperative of its users. This guarantees lifelong use of the accommodation based on principles of coexistence, shared responsibility, and the active participation of residents. The project is integrated into Valleseco’s Local Urban Agenda and responds to the municipal strategy to combat depopulation, attract new residents, and diversify housing types. It offers innovative alternatives to traditional housing, specially adapted to rural environments.
Institutional Statements
The Councillor for Public Works at Valleseco Town Hall, Samuel García Rodríguez, whose department is managing the project, stated that this tender “marks a before and after in the municipality’s housing policy, committing to a more human, sustainable model adapted to new social realities.” He further emphasised that “it is not just about building houses, but about creating community, fostering coexistence, and using resources efficiently.”
For his part, the Mayor of Valleseco, José Luis Rodríguez Quintana, noted that “this project positions Valleseco as a benchmark in the Canary Islands for social and residential innovation, demonstrating that the public sector can drive bold solutions to demographic challenges.” The mayor added that “collaborative housing is a key tool for attracting population, generating a sense of belonging, and strengthening the municipality’s social fabric.”
Commitment to Social Cohesion and the Territory
With this project, Valleseco Town Hall reinforces its commitment to balanced territorial development, “backing public policies that integrate housing, sustainability, social cohesion, and citizen participation,” the statement notes. The tender for this project is a decisive step towards turning a long-planned initiative into reality, consolidating Valleseco as a laboratory for new ways of inhabiting the territory from a public and community perspective.
No post found!