Speaker
Description
Access to adequate and stable housing is among the most pressing challenges faced by migrants across Europe, profoundly influencing their socio-spatial inclusion and right to the city (Ager & Strang, 2008; Muñoz, 2018; Boccagni, 2020). In Italy, these barriers are compounded by structural deficits in housing policies and pervasive discrimination (Marconi & Shkopi, 2022; Semprebon et al., 2022). Migrants are disproportionately affected by housing precarity, often forced into informal or insecure arrangements such as squatting, illegal subletting, or substandard housing, further deepening their socio-economic exclusion (Albanese et al, 2023).
This paper will examine promising local practices in the Veneto Region (Northeastern Italy), where economic, cultural, and institutional barriers exacerbate migrants' vulnerability to precarious housing conditions (Shkopi and Marconi, 2023). While high homeownership rates and a limited rental market represent structural obstacles to accessing adequate housing for all disadvantaged groups, migrants also face widespread prejudice and intolerance.
Based on action-research conducted by the SSIIM UNESCO Chair on the Social and Spatial Inclusion of International Migrants at the University Iuav of Venice, the study draws on qualitative data collected through interviews, focus groups with key stakeholders, and participant observation. It also incorporates insights from the Regional Board on migrants’ access to housing established by SSIIM UNESCO Chair in 2022, which convenes civil servants, third-sector organizations, and civil society actors. This collaborative framework provides a unique perspective on local dynamics and potential solutions to housing inequalities.
Three case studies will be presented as emblematic of local initiatives to mitigate migrants’ housing precarity. Driven by civil society organizations (CSOs) independently or public institutions in collaboration with CSOs, these practices include mediation initiatives to address landlords' mistrust toward migrant tenants, third sector-driven rehabilitation of substandard public housing stock, and the provision of intangible guarantees to facilitate private rental agreements through multi-actor comprehensive housing support programs. These programs, developed through partnerships between public administration and the third sector, encompass conflict mediation, community building, cultural mediation, training on rights and responsibilities, and other forms of assistance and accompaniment. The examined interventions show how local actors can mobilize territorial capital (OECD, 2001; Camagni, 2008) to devise creative solutions for expanding housing access while fostering socio-spatial inclusion.
However, these initiatives face significant challenges in scaling up, and being mainstreamed into regional policymaking. Key obstacles include fragmented governance structures, limited coordination between public and private stakeholders, and insufficient structural funding to ensure continuity. By situating these findings within the broader context of housing financialization and commodification (Lombard, 2023; Fregolent & Torri, 2018), exacerbated by short term rentals linked to touristification processes, the paper highlights the need for planning policies that prioritize inclusivity and equity while addressing systemic barriers.
The paper will explore the transformative role of planning in tackling the housing precarity of vulnerable groups, considering collaborative frameworks involving NGOs, local governments, and community initiatives to achieve equitable housing outcomes. It will highlight the limits of ad hoc solutions and emphasize the need for systemic approaches to foster housing inclusion. By focusing on local practices and systemic barriers in cities of the Veneto Region, the paper aims to contribute to the discourse on housing justice and the role of planning in reducing inequalities, with implications for other contexts facing similar housing challenges for marginalized populations.
References
Ager, A., & Strang, A. (2008). Understanding Integration: A Conceptual Framework. Journal of Refugee Studies, 21(2), pp. 166–191
Albanese, F., Marconi, G., Semprebon, M. (2023) Informal Housing of Migrants in Italy. In Singh, B., Berger,T. and Pamar, M. (eds) Negotiating resilience with hard and soft city, Routledge
Fregolent, L., Torri, R. (2018) L’Italia senza casa. Bisogni emergenti e politiche per l’abitare. Milano: FrancoAngeli
Lombard, M. (2023) The experience of precarity: low-paid economic migrants’ housing in Manchester, Housing Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, 38(2), pp. 307-326
Marconi, Giovanna and Shkopi Eriselda (2022) Fuori dalla porta. La precarietà abitativa dei migranti in Veneto, tra discriminazione (istituzionale) e pratiche dal basso, Archivio di Studi Urbani e Regionali, 134, pp. 102-125
Muñoz, S. (2018) Urban Precarity and Home: There Is No “Right to the City, Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 108(2), pp. 370-379
Semprebon, M., Marconi, G., Ferlicca, F., Albanese, F. (2022), Migrants’ right to adequate housing: barriers, policies and practices. In Munch, S. and Siede, A. (eds), Precarious housing in Europe : a critical guide. Edition Donau-Universität Krems
Shkopi, E., Marconi, G. (2023) Casa e Abitare in Veneto per le persone con background migratorio. Venezia: Università Iuav di Venezia
| Keywords | migrants; Housing precarity; Local practices; Veneto Region |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
