Rome

Rome is facing a serious housing crisis marked by a shortage of affordable homes, high rental prices, and growing social vulnerability across its population. Over 18,000 families are waiting for public housing, with more than 20,000 people experiencing homelessness and another 10,000 households at risk of eviction. Evictions average over five per day, with 85% caused by job loss or a sudden inability to pay rent. Although buyers and investors drive up demand, long-term residents, working families, commuters, the homeless, students, and young people seeking independence are hardest hit, as supply is not keeping up and landlords favor short-term tourist rentals.

Commuters and young adults face the reality of being priced out, sometimes forced to live far from the city center or denied leases if they cannot prove stable income. Low- and middle-income earners, essential workers, and migrants are particularly affected by the lack of available and affordable housing, as well as by housing discrimination and growing competition for limited supply. The ongoing popularity of short-term rentals for tourists further aggravates the problem by reducing the number of homes available for permanent residents. The crisis is amplified during special events, such as the Holy Year, which brings a surge in tourism and puts additional pressure on Rome’s precarious housing market.

Rome’s housing market is experiencing dynamic growth in 2025, with residential property prices rising 6.9% year-on-year. The median price to buy an apartment in Rome is approximately €3,590 per square meter, while the median price to rent is around €14.22 per square meter monthly. The percentage of home ownership in Rome is high, consistent with national trends, with roughly 72% owning and about 28% renting; however, rental demand is rising as supply increasingly tightens, especially in central districts.

Publicly owned housing, administered primarily by ATER, plays a significant role but faces shortages and long waiting lists. Around 30,000 households are on the waiting list, and only about 1% of applicants get housing assigned annually. Public housing (case popolari) is not entirely synonymous with social housing; public housing is reserved for low-income families and administered by public entities, while social housing may include broader categories and mixed funding. Both face issues such as illegal rentals and speculation, with a significant portion of stock not always reaching target populations.

Short-term rentals are also prominent, with 29,000+ Airbnb listings, but stricter regulations are being enforced. Overall, Rome remains a competitive market with moderate upward price pressures and ongoing public housing challenges. All prices and figures are provided in Euros.

Rome’s city administration is currently focusing on preserving and upgrading existing affordable housing stock and making use of public real estate for new social impact projects, as new large-scale construction remains limited. Targets for the housing sector emphasize housing rehabilitation, prevention of displacement, and increasing sustainability, but do not include major new unit construction for 2025 due to fiscal constraints.

Concrete programs include the Citywide Housing Rehabilitation Program, which provides grants to low- and moderate-income homeowners for essential exterior repairs to maintain livability and safety. Rome also collaborates with the Land Bank Authority to bring abandoned or tax-delinquent properties back into productive, affordable use, and works with national and local partners to support both ownership and rental solutions.

On a national level, Italy’s ongoing renovation incentives, such as the House Renovation Bonus and Ecobonus, promote sustainability by providing significant deductions (up to 50%) for primary residences to improve energy efficiency and upgrade homes.

Additionally, Rome has supported adaptive reuse of public buildings, for example turning heritage or former military sites into sustainable social housing through public-private partnerships. Recent strategies favor product and process innovations, including streamlined zoning changes and reduced land concession costs for affordable housing projects, to better align social needs and speed up delivery of sustainable, affordable homes.