Forty Italian cities have mobilized against the housing crisis Since the government is not doing anything about it

For some time now, numerous observers have argued that, in recent years, the government led by Giorgia Meloni has failed to adopt sufficient measures to counter a housing market that has become increasingly inaccessible, not only for the most economically vulnerable groups. The generalized rise in housing prices and rents recorded in recent years has not been followed by structural political interventions capable of containing its impact, thus contributing to the exacerbation of social inequalities at all levels.

In many cities—especially in large urban centers and in those areas where housing demand is particularly high—the so-called “right to housing” is today increasingly less guaranteed, with significant social consequences: from health to employment and educational opportunities, all the way to overall quality of life.

What is the “National Housing Plan”

Faced with this scenario and the evident shortcomings of government action, individual municipal administrations have attempted to intervene through various initiatives: from the redevelopment of so-called “public housing” to the construction of new homes, from investments in student housing to attempts to regulate the short-term rental market. In most cases, however, these policies have proved insufficient. Despite their efforts to do their part, cities do not, on their own, have the necessary tools to tackle a housing crisis of such scale.

Both at the Meeting of Rimini and at Atreju, two events closely associated with the Italian right, Meloni promised funding for measures to support families and young couples struggling on the housing front. So far, however, these statements have not been followed by concrete actions. According to several observers, this is further proof that the government’s economic strategy—as emerges from the fourth budget law—is characterized by marked caution in managing public finances and by a substantial absence of structural reforms, considered excessive even by some voices linked to the governing majority itself.

This is also why, recently, mayors and councilors from forty Italian cities—including Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Naples, Florence and Bari—presented a plan in support of the right to housing. The document brings together ten proposals addressed to the government, designed to grant municipalities greater powers, financial resources, and regulatory tools, in order to increase the supply of housing for those in need and to intervene more effectively in phenomena such as rising property prices or the spread of short-term rentals.

The proposals put forward by the municipalities involved

The first of the ten proposals contained in the document calls for funding interventions for the recovery and maintenance of public residential housing—that is, so-called “public housing.” The second proposes the free transfer to municipalities of public properties currently unused. The third concerns the refinancing of a fund intended to economically support people who, due to objective difficulties, are unable to cope with rent payments.

The fourth proposal reiterates to the government—after years of appeals—the need to approve a law that definitively regulates short-term rentals linked to the tourism sector. The fifth calls for funding a national plan dedicated to people experiencing homelessness, based on pathways of social inclusion. The sixth proposes the introduction of measures to encourage regulated-rent contracts, more advantageous for tenants, accompanied by increased tax pressure on those who leave properties vacant.

The seventh proposal aims to contain construction costs for new “public housing” through tenders that favor prefabricated housing models. The eighth concerns strengthening social rental agencies, tools designed to facilitate the meeting of supply and demand. The ninth focuses on greater support for the right to education, while the tenth and final proposal calls for the establishment of public real estate funds dedicated to investments in public residential housing.