Part of the Pnrr funds will be used for the Housing Plan launched by the Meloni Government. In particular, around one billion euros will be allocated to the so-called “service housing”, i.e. the system that provides housing, at controlled conditions, for workers and employees who struggle to find a property in cities with high employment density.
The use of the resources, originally intended for Rosco, for this integrated building program is however linked to the inclusion of an amendment in the conversion law in decree 66/2026, under discussion in the Environment Commission of the Chamber.
How the Pnrr funds will be used
As mentioned, the state intervention arises from the reallocation of part of the resources initially foreseen for Rosco, a public company that deals with the purchase and rental of trains. According to the plan being studied by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, approximately 1.2 billion euros will in fact be transferred to other projects considered priority.
Of these, 200 million will be allocated to the energy efficiency of public housing, while the remaining billion will finance the new program dedicated to housing for workers. After the inclusion of the amendment in legislative decree no. 66 of 7 May 2026, the provision must be converted into law by 8 July.
In the Government’s plans, the measure provides for the involvement of the National Living Fund (Fna), a mutual real estate investment fund dedicated to affordable residential construction, whose management is entrusted to Cdp Real Asset Sgr (part of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group).
Who will benefit from the new homes
The declared objective of the Housing Plan is to support that segment of the population that does not fall within the requirements of public housing. But which, at the same time, struggles to access the private rental market. The access criteria have not yet been defined, but in presenting the project the CEO of Cdp Real Asset, Antonino Turicchi, mentioned in particular:
- young professionals at their first job;
- nurses;
- teachers;
- belonging to the police forces.
According to Turicchi, these categories perform essential functions for the city and national ecosystem, but are increasingly penalized by the increase in rents and the cost of properties. The phenomenon is creating problems not only for families, but also for businesses and public services, which are encountering increasing difficulties in finding staff willing to relocate.
Among the recipient categories of the housing units built under the subsidized regime are also private sector workers with housing needs paid by the employer, who are asked to move to a location other than their residence. To access the service, three requirements will most likely have to be met simultaneously:
- ISEE of the family above the ERP/subsidized limits (i.e. the “middle” range excluded from social housing);
- impact on income of annual free market housing costs greater than 30% of the beneficiary’s income;
- maximum income not exceeding 5 times the annual housing costs at market prices.
What is service housing envisaged by the Housing Plan
The model chosen by the Government, as we have said, is that of the so-called “service housing”. These are homes offered at rents lower than market prices, but not comparable to traditional public housing.
The intent is to create an intermediate solution between social housing and the free market, aimed at the so-called middle class. In practice, the accommodation will be aimed at workers who receive an income, which however is not sufficient to support the costs of rent in the most popular areas.
According to sector operators, this formula could encourage job mobility and help reduce one of the main obstacles to economic growth in large cities.
The role of the National Housing Fund
As already described above, the financial vehicle identified for the operation is the National Housing Fund, dedicated to the development of affordable housing and also supported by the European guarantee InvestEU. The latter acts as an institutional anchor that allows the risk of investments to be reduced.
One of the characteristics that makes the fund particularly suitable for government operations is its qualification as a “Member State compartment”, a requirement that allows the use of resources from the Pnrr. A specific sector dedicated to housing for workers will be created within the Fund.
