In the last few months there have been demonstrations of social unease in the major urban areas of the country, which have had the main characterizing feature in the occupation of disused or unused properties. "On closer inspection, these are very often episodes that have in the housing dimension only the most striking and visible element of a wider and more general problem", underlines Luca Dondi General Manager of Nomisma.
Without indulgences towards almost always illegal and often violent initiatives, one cannot fail to notice how the repeated occupations make visible a phenomenon which, despite extraordinarily significant dimensions, is too often overlooked, as well as entirely delegated to a frantic local interventionism and without the right tools.
“There are, in fact, almost 1,8 million, according to the initial data of a study that Nomisma is carrying out for Federcasa, the families in rent which, today facing a condition of housing deprivation (incidence of rent on family income exceeding 30% ), run a real risk of sliding towards forms of arrears and possible social marginalisation. They are mostly Italian citizens (about 65%), distributed throughout the country in a more homogeneous way than what recent demonstrations would lead one to think. While there is no doubt that the phenomenon is more accentuated in large centres, free zones do not seem to emerge from the analysis, with a diffusion that also affects medium-sized capitals and smaller centres. In this context, the public housing stock is confirmed to be completely insufficient, making it possible to safeguard just 700 households, i.e. just over a third of those currently in a problematic situation" - continues Dondi.
Given the vastness of the problem, public responses have so far been overall inadequate. The recovery and restructuring plan for unused and dilapidated ERP properties is a response of negligible size, especially if associated with the sacrifice (mostly at modest values) of a part of the assets on the altar of an irreconcilable economic efficiency of the house companies responsible for managing . Even the constant invocation of private competition through the system of real estate funds and intervention by the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti cannot be enough. Furthermore, an unpredictable acceleration of the social housing plan would guarantee relief only to a minority share (the so-called gray band) of families who are currently in difficult conditions (630 beneficiaries compared to almost 1.800 in hardship). Finally, the tax relief (both on income and on property) granted to owners of homes leased at an "agreed" rent is not sufficient, especially where the territorial agreements governing this option are so obsolete as to make it effectively unusable.
“A serious, convincing and necessarily public response to the issue of housing problems should be an inescapable goal of effective reforming government action. Add to this that, on balance, the repercussions in terms of economic activation of a hypothetical housing plan could prove to be less weak and fleeting than those destined to result from the tax relief on the main residence which the owners will benefit from starting from the year next. But if the possible gap in terms of growth can be a topic of discussion, the difference in terms of fairness of the two options is quite evident” – concludes Dondi.
