Pnrr decree, green light for university housing commissioner

With the Pnrr quater decree, which will go through a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Montecitorio before passing to the second and final reading in the Senate, come new simplifications to achieve the goal of creating 60 thousand university beds by 2026. The result of a series of approved amendments. The regulations on changes of use of buildings, located in areas subject to landscape protection, to be converted into university residences have been changed. In detail, in the event that the work to be carried out entails changes to the outline, prospects, floor area and planivolumetric and typological characteristics of the pre-existing building or increases in volume, a simplified procedure is envisaged through the use of the Scia in materia edilizia (a building permit) and a report to the Superintendency. Tax benefits are also envisaged: if the value of the property's cadastral income increases as a result of the change of use, the increase does not count for the purposes of determining property taxation and mortgage and cadastral taxes. In addition, the mandatory minimum provision of parking spaces is eliminated.

Not only. For interventions aimed at the conversion of already sealed areas into university housing, the issuance of a building permit is allowed as an exception to the urban planning instruments in force (by virtue of the public interest linked to the achievement of the NRP objectives). This rule does not apply to areas subject to protection under the Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code. The number of parties that will be able to build new housing is broadened. Until now, the rule referred only to private parties in agreement with the public, now directly also public parties, in line with the provisions of Law 338/2000.

All these changes are in addition to the original structure of the Pnrr quater decree, which also provides for an extraordinary commissioner. The commissioner is to be appointed at the proposal of the Minister of Universities and Research and will operate within the same Ministry, in collaboration with the Pnrr General Directorate and the mission structure of Palazzo Chigi. Among his tasks is that of implementing the simplification of procedures for the construction of new beds.

Meanwhile, since 29 March, Cdp's new National and European Funds portal has been operational, through which users can access the services that Cassa manages for ministries. In detail, public and private entities can register through the application and apply for grants to create housing for those studying at universities in Italy (the fund for university housing reform amounts to about 1.2 billion). All the preliminary investigation is in the hands of the Mur. The portal allows those interested in the initiative to calculate, thanks to an "ad hoc" digital simulator, the hypothetical average rate applicable to the university residence; a significant element, since the reform establishes a contribution for the manager commensurate with the number of beds that will be made available by 30 June 2026. The contribution is recognised by the Mur against the application of reduced rates, compared to the average market value of the beds offered to university students.