Fondazione di Comunità di Messina: non finanziamo progetti

The article profiles the Fondazione di Comunità di Messina, a non‑profit founded in 2012 by a network of local associations and led by physicist‑turned‑activist Gaetano Giunta. Published by Il Post and authored by Riccardo Congiu and Claudio Caprara, it details how the foundation creates self‑sustaining welfare models, focusing on affordable, eco‑friendly housing for vulnerable populations in the metropolitan area of Messina, Sicily.

A flagship initiative involved 59 former residents of the judicial psychiatric hospital (OPG) in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The foundation secured the annual public budget allocated for each individual’s care, pooled it with private donations and investment from Banca Etica, and used the funds to install a distributed photovoltaic park on local rooftops. The solar panels supply free electricity to low‑income families and generate surplus energy that is sold, creating a revenue stream that funds a social‑inclusion fund for the former patients.

All 59 participants received guaranteed employment in the installation, operation and maintenance of the solar park, a commitment that extends over a twenty‑year period. Additional jobs have been created in agritourism, cultural activities and local cooperatives. Those who cannot work receive a minimum income from the foundation’s fund, ensuring they avoid institutional confinement and can live independently or in protected housing.

The foundation is currently completing two technologically advanced, environmentally friendly residential complexes on former slum sites devastated by the 1908 earthquake. Approximately 650 people from 200 families will move into these new homes, half of which will be owned by the residents themselves, promoting long‑term affordability and community ownership.

Beyond housing, the foundation supports research, museums and cultural projects, and has helped revive the historic Birra Messina brand by organising cooperative structures and industrial planning for former brewery workers. Its policy‑driven approach—designing long‑term economic plans, attracting ethical investment and applying academic research—aims to replicate sustainable, community‑based welfare models across Southern Italy and the wider Mediterranean.

The Fondazione di Comunità explicitly rejects traditional project‑funding models, arguing that they perpetuate precariousness. Instead, it creates autonomous, redistributive systems that balance social cohesion, environmental sustainability and economic viability. Governed by Giunta, a former researcher and anti‑mafia activist, the foundation’s activities are guided by a commitment to “policy” rather than isolated projects, ensuring continuity and self‑sufficiency.