Italy: Social housing: the “Italian model”
Italy’s “social housing” model has reached the heart of Europe. The initiative, produced by the Cariplo Foundation in Milan, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, is a concrete, innovative way to provide housing to those without a home. Giuseppe Guzzetti: lawyer, Christian-Democrat politician, former President of the Lombardy Region and former member of the Italian Senate, has been at the helm of the Foundation for the past twenty years promoting philanthropic initiatives, social advancement activity, supporting the non-for-profit sector … On June 27 Giuseppe Guzzetti presented the “social housing” project to MEPs at the EU Parliament seat in Brussels.
The social housing program pioneered by the Cariplo Foundation has debuted at the European Parliament. You have described the initiative as “welfare housing.” How did it come about? Could it stand as a role model in contemporary Europe, as it seeks to define its own “social pillar”? People’s future has always been based on three fundamental, concrete elements: housing, jobs, and good health. However obvious it may seem – Guzzetti told SIR – without these three elements it’s hard to be confident about the future. For years our Country has been facing increasing requests for accessible and dignified housing facilities. In most cases, the prices and conditions of the private market are unaffordable for families, young couples, single-income households, pensioners, non-resident students, migrants living permanently in our communities.
Published by: SIR (27 June 2017)
Written by: Gianni Borsa
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