Green light for the European Housing Plan. 300 million ready for the Italian one

Many resources: 43 billion investments already mobilised in the European budget, another 10 billion coming from InvestEu, to which will be added the resources from the reprogramming of the Cohesion Funds and those from the next EU long-term budget and the Social Climate Fund. Still, by 2029 investments of 375 billion are expected from banks and promotional institutions. To which many private resources will also have to be added. Around these figures the European Housing Plan presented on Tuesday 16 December by the Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jorgensen. In the same hours for the Italian Housing Plan (focused on public housing) an additional 300 million euro between 2026 and 2027 were found in the manoeuvre.

Massive funds are needed to complete the operation announced by the Commission: 150 billion each year to build 650,000 new houses every twelve months. The aim is to respond to the housing crisis, compensating for the strong need for real estate, especially for the most exposed groups, such as young people and low-income families. But there are not only funds. The strategy is also based on many reforms. "Europe," says Jorgensen, "must collectively take responsibility for the housing crisis that affects millions of citizens.

Words greeted with satisfaction by Ance president, Federica Brancaccio: "We have been saying for a long time that there is this emergency and we are talking about the fundamental points for tackling it. We talked years ago about how we needed a Pnrr for housing. If our voice has also reached Europe, we are pleased, because the pillars of the European Housing Plan are very close to our idea'. Above all, we like the fact that the housing crisis is addressed through an overall instrument that charts a course, taking many elements together: 'For such a complex challenge,' Brancaccio continues, 'there is no single solution but there is a range of solutions. We like the approach that aims to have objectives, definite timeframes and reforms to be implemented'. While on the resources front 'many instruments are referred to. Certainly others can be used, such as taxation, but the real challenge will be to involve the private sector by making the necessary reforms'.

Even Davide Albertini Petroni, president of Confindustria Assoimmobiliare, speaks of "an important first step towards structurally addressing the housing issue". There is "strong appreciation" for "the package of strategic guidelines aimed at theunbureaucratisation of the sector's regulations, the reduction of burdens for operators, including tax burdens, and the acceleration of project authorisation times, as well as, above all, the willingness to review theState aid discipline, recognising the need to increase investments in the residential sector, with public and private resources, which are currently far below the levels required to support a plan of this magnitude". Important is the emphasis on 'the synergy between housing policies, energy efficiency and building systems'.