Case popolari, giunta Salis all'attacco: "Sconcertanti i tagli del governo"

The article, published by the Italian news outlet Genova24.it, reports on a political clash in March 2026 between the municipal administration of Genoa and the national government over a substantial reduction in funding for public‑housing renovation. The piece was automatically extracted from the website and submitted through an EHC profile routine, indicating it is part of a broader library‑promotion policy.

The national government has frozen €970 million in financing for the renovation of public housing (ERP) across Italy. In Genoa this translates into a loss of €13 million that would have supported the refurbishment of 600 currently vacant apartments, intensifying the city’s housing shortage. The article also cites a separate €960‑million cut affecting the same sector.

Genoa, a city of nearly one million inhabitants, faces a dramatic shortfall: roughly half of its intended housing capacity is unserved, leaving many residents without adequate accommodation. The mayor, Silvia Salis, highlighted that young people are increasingly unable to afford homes due to soaring rents and unaffordable mortgages, a trend aggravated by the funding freeze.

In response, the municipal cabinet approved the creation of a Technical Housing Observatory and a Permanent Table for participatory strategic decisions on housing policy. The Observatory will coordinate research on housing needs, existing support mechanisms, and potential financing avenues, drawing on technical assistance from IRE spa and involving multiple city departments (Welfare, Urban Planning, Demanio e Patrimonio).

The Permanent Table will bring together trade unions, tenant and owner associations, public housing operators (ARTE, SPIM), social‑housing actors, foundations, third‑sector organisations, and real‑estate agencies. Its remit includes revitalising the Social Housing Agency and promoting agreed‑rate rents, particularly in the Sestri Ponte district, which suffers acute housing demand.

Valentina Pierobon, president of the Syndicate of Small Property Owners (ASPPi), warned that the €960‑million cut jeopardises the public‑housing refurbishment programme, risking a shift of the housing crisis onto the private rental market. She stressed that private small owners cannot replace state responsibilities without adequate public support, and called for renewed public investment to maintain market balance and protect vulnerable tenants.

The Genoa case illustrates broader European challenges: fiscal austerity measures can undermine sustainable urban housing programmes, leading to increased social inequity and environmental strain from vacant or poorly maintained buildings. The city’s initiative to establish a data‑driven observatory and inclusive governance structure aligns with EU objectives for resilient, affordable, and energy‑efficient housing, offering a potential model for other municipalities confronting similar funding constraints.