"Una casa in più" is an innovative housing project which offers a differentiated set of possibilities to different migrant families with different needs, potential and perspectives. This experience aims to respond to the high mobility of the migrant population and flexibility of labour markets. Although all apartments and rooms have very easily been assigned, the project funding has not been renewed, blocking the reproducibility of an experiment which can be considered as an example of good practice.

The most remarkable outcome of the "Equal-Koinè Project" is the greater mixité that has been achieved in a neighbourhood which, before this intervention, was characterised by a strong presence of migrant population. However, the increase in houses’ prices in the area, on one side led to the return of Italian residents in the neighbourhood, but on the other has reduced the affordability of accommodation for migrant families and induced some of them to relocate in peripheral neighbourhoods, thus creating other possible situations of overcrowding or poor housing conditions in other areas of the city.

(1) "Una casa in più” wishes to favour migrants’ access to affordable housing. With this project the Local Administration wants to offer new possibilities of buying or renting accommodation to those migrant families which have sufficient economic means to undertake their own path.

(2)The "Equal-Koinè Project" includes the renewal of the damaged urban areas and the regeneration work of the central quarter of Carmine, historically inhabitated by migrant groups. It aims at the improvement of the living standards of the migrant population and at reducing spatial segregation. .

"Una casa in più" has been realised by the Office for Integration and Citizenship of the Brescia City Council and its management and implementation has been handed to three co-operatives: Scalabrini Bonomelli, Accoglienza Migranti and the Foundation Siepec. A boarding house of 7 rooms with toilet and kitchen (monolocali) are being built, and 12 flats have been purchased. All of them will be then rented to 12 migrant families who will eventually have the possibility to redeem the properties. The money derived from the selling of the 12 apartments will be used to help some of the migrant families registered on the waiting lists for public housing.

"Equal-Koinè Project" involves the Local Authority and ALER. It consists of a number of measures to overcome a situation of urban deterioration which characterised the Carmine quarter. Initiatives incude interventions on public spaces, renovation of a large number of buildings in which mostly migrants were living, and the introduction or relocation in this part of the city of a number of institutions and general services for all the city's residents.

"Una casa in più" shows how foreign citizens who often meet various difficulties in renting a house, are actually able to buy a house if, for instance, provided with access to credit. Besides, the boarding house gives the possibility to live in a more decent accommodation to people leaving in precarious conditions, e.g. people who have not been joined by their family or who have not maturated as yet a long term migratory project.

Una casa in più" has been evaluated positively by the ISMU Foundation on behalf of the Lombardy Region.

"Equal-Koinè Project" has renovated some of the historical buildings of the Carmine quarter and has also introduced in the area a number of essential services for residents. It has allowed for a diversification of the resdient population, in terms of both class and ethnic background. Spatial segregation has been reduced and greater mixité has been achieved.

"Equal-Koinè Project" has been evaluated positively by the City Council and by the Urban Planning Division of the Brescia City Council.

Single migrants and families (1). All residents including those with migratory background, as well as local institutions. (2)

Project is funded by the State fund for the housing hardship of migrant population (1). Project is funded by the European Union in partnership with Unioncamere Lombardia, Milano City Council, the Province of Lecco and Cremona, CDIE, and Sinergia (2).

Office for Integration and Citizenship of the Brescia City Council
Giovanni Valenti (Head of the Office for Integration and Citizenship of the Brescia City Council), tel. +39-030-2977660

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case

Urban Policy

Housing