We are pleased to welcome a new Italian member to the Eurhonet community: ALER Pavia Lodi. To find out more about the organisation and its goals, we spoke with its Director General, Luca Baccaro.
Welcome to Eurhonet! Can you tell us a bit about your organisation?
“The Company has two offices, one in Pavia and one in Lodi, and has 60 employees.”
What is your background and how did you come to work in public/social housing?
“I am both an engineer and a law graduate and, over the years, I have dealt with urban planning; construction as well as public works. Through my familiarity with the topic, I have come to believe that some aspects that currently hinder certain procedures should be revised, as they could instead give greater momentum to the Company’s development.”
What does public/social housing mean to you?
“In my view, social housing should be conceived differently from how it is today. New contexts should be created in which buildings can accommodate categories of residents with a more suitable residential mix. Consideration should also be given to building replacement interventions, renewing outdated and non-compliant areas through demolition and reconstruction.”
What are the most rewarding and stimulating aspects of your role?
“Constantly seeking possible solutions, including through public-private partnerships, that may help reduce vacancy rates.”
What motivates you in your role?
“The continuous desire to build greater synergy with colleagues, also by providing new stimuli. In my view, the Company has always remained within a minimal framework, without considering possible solutions and developments. Motivation will also increase with the inclusion of collaborators capable of challenging themselves, even on new topics.”
What are your organisation’s key priorities at the moment?
“Defining project plans for university housing, whether in complete buildings or scattered units, in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Ministry (MUR) with PNRR funding. Another objective is to identify qualified operatorsto develop energy-efficiency upgrades through the Repower initiative.”
Can you tell us about a recent project you are proud of?
“At the moment, I can say that the L1 K1 call financed by the European Community is producing good results, particularly thanks to young external collaborators selected for this activity. In my view, these are resources worth retaining in order to bring new overall energy.”
What are the main challenges of public/social housing in your region?
“A priority objective is to reduce vacancies as much as possible by maintaining dialogue with institutions. At Aler Pavia, we were the first to establish an agreement for the allocation of housing units to the healthcare staff of SanMatteo Hospital.”
Your Eurhonet membership: what motivated you to join the network?
“The interest in building networks and understanding how the development of public contexts takes place at the European level, also (and especially) through urban regeneration.”
What do you hope to gain from the network?
“The exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge of working methods in other countries.”
What would you like other Eurhonet members to know about your organisation?
“I would be pleased to share the difficulties faced by a territory where 60% of tenants fall within the protected category, the everyday challenges they experience, and the many ideas and projects we are experimenting with, including through collaborations with third-sector organisations or through project financing.”
We warmly welcome ALER Pavia Lodi to Eurhonet and look forward to the fruitful collaboration ahead.
