Our country is experiencing a protracted demographic winter, which is confirmed by a decline in the birth rate in the latest Istat data.. Young couples, like families, are struggling to build a future for themselves. Thanks to inflation, as well as rising mortgage rates, there are many barriers to choosing whether to buy or rent a home. In Italian culture, we know how meaningful the idea of “home” is. The difficulties affect not only young people, but also pensioners, separated people and people living alone, who often cannot bear living costs on their own.. An ever-expanding segment of the population not poor enough for public housing and not rich enough to afford to keep up with the real estate market.
The most obvious example is Milan. that – attracting a large number of new residents for study, tourism and work – Over the past five years, property values have doubled. In a country where purchasing power is gradually declining, the middle class is suffering terribly. The housing needs of modern society require us to expand the target audience of the Social Housing project. This means increased investment in structures and services in the face of growing demand for accommodation requests.
Municipalities play a critical role as they determine the properties or areas to be redeveloped within their territories. Social housing means ‘urban regeneration’that is, the opportunity to give a new face to degraded or peripheral neighborhoods not only geographically, but also socially on the part of the urban community.
To this should also be added European Social Housing Strategywhich could stimulate the exchange of “best practices” from the Nordic countries, where this type of housing is very widespread, but also prepares for the funding of government measures that have a large impact on local communities. This cannot be left to private investment alone., because the goal is not speculation, but to support the survival of the middle class. The return on investment is long-term and creates positive externalities for the entire community, not just a few. In this process, the contribution that employers can make to the development of employee housing and workshop projects at reasonable rents should not be underestimated.
Finally, the psychological and social well-being of social housing residents is also improved., who could live in a house close to their place of work and also have everyday services such as supermarkets and laundries close at hand. And last but not least: kindergartens, schools and municipal institutions.
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