Home, a private good for the common good

The issue of housing is becoming increasingly heated. Nomisma, Confindustria, the ANCI, the Municipalities are talking about it. Indeed, the 78 thousand empty apartments in Turin, according to ISTAT, are questioning us. A similar phenomenon in other large and small cities. They are publicly owned, large properties and small owners. Different strategies are undoubtedly needed to address the problem. However, we feel we must underline that we are in a divisive historical moment, in which the culture of conflict is given more voice than that of collaboration. I am against the propaganda of fear and I believe that this is not what our society needs. Even if I am perfectly aware that for many, politicians and the mass media, the culture of fear is essential to achieving their goals.

In recent years, Cicsene has collaborated with owners, mainly small owners, who see renting as an integration of a salary or a pension, while the tenants are people who are already integrated but vulnerable. Our weapon for finding housing answers has been mediation between tenants and owners, with an equidistant approach that recognizes the fragility of both interlocutors. Our challenge is to gain the trust of owners, so that they decide to rent to vulnerable people. For us, the owner is an ally who, by taking on part of the potential risks, offers opportunities to those who would otherwise not have them, thus making up for the lack of public responses. I believe we must work for a system of law and protection for all the people involved, without falling into prejudice or factions. This is why we do not identify with the language and form of many press releases and campaigns even if sometimes the intentions are common. It is urgent to fill the absence and failures of politics, but keeping alive the attention on the responsibility of the institutions, being careful not to exacerbate social conflicts that are already in place.

If the house is a private good that must take into account the common good, the way forward is to address the complexities by building community relationships, bonds of trust between citizens, and offering innovative guarantee tools to the parties. It is about inaugurating places where the parties representing tenants, owners, the public body, civil society, churches, foundations of banking origin, and entrepreneurs come together to join forces.

Gianfranco Cattai
NP January 2025