SottoSopra is a social-housing and inclusion project in San Berillo, a historic neighbourhood in central Catania, Sicily, Italy. It responds to housing and social isolation among people at risk of exclusion in an area affected by building abandonment and informal housing. The project’s approach is to involve residents in shaping their living environment and building routes toward greater independence. 24
Oxfam Italia Intercultura is the project’s lead organisation and developer, working with Trame di Quartiere, Diaconia Valdese, SUNIA Catania, Impact Hub and the Municipality of Catania. The initiative was supported by Fondazione CON IL SUD through its 2018 Social Housing call. The partnership combines community regeneration, employment inclusion, access-to-housing support and project monitoring. 346
At the centre of the project is the restoration and community use of historic Palazzo De Gaetani. Its activities include temporary co-housing for people experiencing housing vulnerability, accompanied by support for employment and the search for stable housing. A social café in the building provides a workplace and a public meeting point, linking the housing intervention with social and cultural activity in the neighbourhood. 3910
The project’s work therefore extends beyond providing accommodation: it seeks to strengthen participants’ autonomy while creating connections between San Berillo and the wider city. 23 Sources describe the project as beginning through the 2018 funding call and as a three-year initiative launched in 2019; the supplied article itself was published on 2 March 2021. 67