Publications

Abitare l'Italia di domani

Settembre 2026

Analisi, scenari e proposte per un mercato della casa accessibile e sostenibile

Housing has returned to the center of the Italian public debate. It has returned not merely as a social issue or one concerning local phenomena, but as one of the issues that most directly affect the country’s demographic and economic transformations, the competitiveness of cities, and people’s quality of life.

Home is the place where relationships, identities, and a sense of security are built, and it is an essential prerequisite for studying, working, raising a family, and seizing the opportunities offered by local communities. Access to adequate and economically sustainable housing therefore affects social cohesion, people’s mobility, and the ability of our cities to attract and retain human capital.

It is with this understanding in mind that Assonime and Confindustria Assoimmobiliare decided to commission this study and entrust it to an independent and authoritative research institute such as the Einaudi Center. We felt it was important to make a fresh contribution to the public debate by providing institutions, industry stakeholders, and citizens with an in-depth and rigorous analysis of the various dimensions of the housing issue.

The reality that emerges from the research is more complex than a simplified reading of the phenomenon might suggest, as is sometimes the case in public discourse. Italy has a very large housing stock, but the supply is not available where it is needed, in the conditions in which it is needed, or for the people who need it most. Societal changes are significantly altering demand: the needs of young people, students, workers on the move, families, the elderly, and increasingly smaller households are growing and becoming more diverse, making the issue of access to housing particularly urgent in the country’s most dynamic and attractive regions.

The housing issue is therefore a matter of national importance, requiring us to move beyond the dichotomy between public intervention and private initiative. The scale of these needs requires a commitment from public institutions, to be complemented by the ability of private entities to mobilize savings and long-term capital in the housing sector, thereby creating the conditions for them to contribute to the development and management of a modern, sustainable, and affordable housing supply.

The Housing Plan launched by the government this year represents, from this perspective, an important step forward.
The decision to focus on the rehabilitation of existing housing stock, the development of social housing, and the strengthening of public-private partnership mechanisms addresses some of the key needs identified by the research.

At the same time, the analysis contained in this document shows that the effectiveness of housing policies will also depend on the ability to embed these interventions within a stable and coherent framework, in which fiscal, financial, urban planning, and administrative tools all work toward the same goal.

This is also why we sought to support a study that would identify solutions grounded in a solid assessment. On an issue as significant as this—and one so prone to one-sided interpretations—we know that sound policy cannot be separated from an understanding of the phenomena, an accurate assessment of needs, and the policy tools available to achieve a goal that affects the entire country.
Because addressing the housing issue ultimately means asking ourselves what model of city, society, and development we want to build for Italy in the coming decades.