The Government of the Canary Islands will establish profiles and codes for cohabitation, supported by a multidisciplinary technical team.

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 29 Aug. (EUROPA PRESS) –

This Friday, the Government of the Canary Islands, through the Ministry of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood and Families, presented the ‘Auchón Intergenerational Cohabitation Programme’. This initiative aims to combat unwanted loneliness among the elderly while providing housing solutions for vulnerable young people.

Innovative Living Model

The project, launched in collaboration with the Family Centre, proposes an innovative cohabitation model where older adults with available space in their homes share their living quarters with young people—students, former care leavers, or single-parent families.

During the presentation, the Minister of Social Welfare emphasised that “the Auchón Programme turns two social problems into a shared opportunity; older individuals find companionship, security, and active ageing, while young people gain a supportive space to live and grow.”

Non-Traditional Housing Arrangement

The ‘Auchón Programme’ is not about traditional renting; rather, it entails a social, non-profit housing arrangement that is legally supported.

The agreement lays out the rights, responsibilities, and cohabitation rules for both parties, accompanied by a multidisciplinary technical team comprising psychologists, social workers, educators, and legal experts.

Careful Evaluation Process

The General Director of Elderly Care, Verónica Meseguer, highlighted that “each step is meticulously planned; first, profiles are evaluated, followed by cross-interviews to ensure compatibility. Training workshops are conducted, and finally, cohabitation begins with a one-month trial period and ongoing monitoring.”

Programme Phases

The programme’s itinerary includes six phases: participant detection and referral, profile assessment, interviews and linkage, preparation for cohabitation, supervised development, and final evaluation.

Furthermore, monthly community activities are organised to reinforce the sense of belonging and create intergenerational support networks.

Public Launch of ‘Auchón’

After months of preparation and coordination with social entities, seniors’ associations, universities, health centres, parishes, and municipalities, the ‘Auchón Programme’ is now entering its public diffusion phase.

In this regard, Minister Delgado issued a direct appeal: “We invite elderly individuals who feel lonely and have a spare room, as well as interested young people, to enrol in the programme. This is an innovative, humane, and supportive project that we wish to consolidate and extend throughout the archipelago.”

Pioneering Social Policy in Spain

Through this initiative, the Canary Islands positions itself at the forefront of social policies in Spain, offering an innovative response to two urgent challenges: unwanted loneliness among the elderly and youth emancipation difficulties. Minister Delgado also emphasised the programme’s ambition to become a replicable “experience across all the islands and a benchmark for intergenerational solidarity, transforming solitude into companionship and vulnerability into opportunity.”