What is service housing, the strategy to lower housing prices for workers and students

In Italy, for Cdp, "there is a lack of a structured model and regulatory framework. Today, active initiatives are mainly at local level, promoted by individual companies, or included in pilot projects within the broader social housing sector'.

According to the analysis, four actors need to be involved to create an adequate system. The first are the institutional investors (real estate funds, pension funds, social security funds and insurance companies), which can allocate resources to the construction of housing with stable returns in the medium to long term. Then, companies or public bodies, which can participate as co-financiers or promoters by providing properties to be redeveloped and offering housing solutions to their employees, Market Asset Management Companies (SGRs) and specialised operators, responsible for the operational management of the housing and the quality of the service provided.

On the other hand, the criticalities that hinder the sector's development are the urban and administrative obstacles that slow down the construction or redevelopment of buildings, the fragmentation of governance, with a significant heterogeneity of the actors involved, the absence of an asset class recognised at system level and the lack of targeted incentives (tax breaks, simplified authorisation processes) that favour the realisation of projects.

Low-rent housing stands at 2.4% of the total stock in Italy, a far cry from the levels recorded in best performing states such as the Netherlands (34.1%) and Austria (23.6%) and lower than the EU average (8%) and France (14%) and Germany (2.6%).

The report also highlights some examples of service housing abroad. In the United Kingdom, the government's 'Key Worker Living' programme, aimed at public sector workers in London and the southeast of England, offers forms of support such as first home loans and affordable rented housing.

In Germany, some large cities promote initiatives in favour of public workers and encourage the return of 'Werkswohnungen' (company housing), although these initiatives are still limited. In Bavaria, the construction of these flats by companies is supported by the state social housing programme. Companies can access subsidised loans with a term of 25 to 40 years. During this period, flats are rented out at market prices with the possibility for tenants within certain income thresholds to receive a monthly subsidy to cover part of the rental costs.

Finally, in France, the organisation Action Logement has been an effective model of affordable housing for workers since 1992, active on a national scale and targeting specific social categories. In particular, initiatives focus on private sector employees, workers under 30 and seasonal workers. In detail, the institution manages the Peec (Participation des Employeurs à l'Effort de Construction), a compulsory contribution of 0.45% of the wage bill paid by companies with more than 10 employees.