The Sardinia Region has announced a plan worth €15 million to increase the supply of public and social housing in the five Sardinian cities with more than 40,000 residents. Sassari has been allocated €2,515,265 and Alghero €3,239,516; the programme was presented in Cagliari on Thursday, 15 October by Regional Public Works Councillor Antonio Piu.
The Regional Extraordinary Plan for Public and Social Housing also covers Cagliari, Olbia and Quartu Sant’Elena. The funding can be used to build new homes, purchase properties, and renovate or restore buildings for residential use. The municipalities were selected on the basis of the latest official Istat data.
The allocation is based on four indicators: households on the waiting list for public housing, households approved for rent assistance, tourist pressure and student pressure. The latter is measured by comparing university enrolments with the resident population; the tourism figure, in turn, compares bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and short-term rentals with resident households.
The indicator with the greatest weight is the number of households waiting for public housing, which accounts for 40% of the score. The remaining 60% is divided equally among rent assistance, tourist pressure and student pressure. The system therefore takes into account both demand for public housing and the difficulties faced by people struggling to afford the rental market.
According to Piu, the programme also aims to address the needs of the so-called squeezed middle: people who face barriers to accessing the property market. The criteria reflect different circumstances in the two cities in the north-west: in Sassari, the university brings demand from students living away from home into focus, while in Alghero the prevalence of accommodation businesses and tourist rentals also carries weight. The issue is linked to the city’s housing and demographic trends, including Alghero’s population decline.
The funding allocated to the five cities is as follows:
- Alghero: €3,239,516.
- Sassari: €2,515,265.
- Cagliari: €4,421,981.
- Quartu Sant’Elena: €2,415,217.
- Olbia: €2,408,021.
Alghero Mayor Raimondo Cacciotto, who attended the presentation with Regional Councillor Valdo Di Nolfo, welcomed the funding. Cacciotto described the right to housing as a central issue for the city’s future and linked the ability to settle there permanently with support for young people and birth rates. Municipal Planning Councillor Roberto Corbia said the new funding offered an opportunity to launch projects for people who have difficulty finding a home.