Earlier this year, we welcomed a new Italian member to the Eurhonet community: Arezzo Casa Spa. This social housing provider is owned by the municipalities of the province of Arezzo in eastern Tuscany. It manages 3,000 homes in 36 municipalities. We talked to Arezzo Casa Spa’s President, Lorenzo Roggi to find out more about social housing in Italy, organisational priorities, and learning objectives as part of Eurhonet… 

Lorenzo Roggi, President, Arezzo Casa Spa

“In Italy, there is no alternative or parallel system to that of ‘social housing’. The entire responsibility to meet the needs of the most vulnerable sectors of our society is completely on us. This makes us very proud and aware of the extreme importance of the role.”

Welcome to Eurhonet, Lorenzo Roggi! What led you to become President of Arezzo Casa Spa?

“In the past, I worked for the Italian armed forces, specifically in the military corps of the Italian Red Cross. I was always dealing with social issues. I was then appointed President of Arezzo Casa Spa by the assembly of mayors of the province of Arezzo.

For me, public and social housing represents the most important support tool that public bodies can make available to the most vulnerable sectors of the population. Making housing accessible and affordable is undoubtedly the first step in building social justice projects.”

What is an important skill to succeed in your role?

“Without a doubt the most challenging but at the same time stimulating part of my job is working and interacting with different professionals and users. Being able to collaborate effectively with all partners is truly the key to the success in my role!

I am motivated by the awareness that without a company like ours, more than 3,000 families would not have access to adequate housing solutions. In fact, we are indispensable for the 10,000 people who use our services, and who without us would have no alternatives.”

Can you tell us about a recent success in your organisation that you are proud of?

“Our company managed to introduce remote working projects during the Covid emergency, and especially during the lock-down period. This operating method had never been implemented before. Currently, we have 30 employees and making them operational remotely in a very short time was challenging.”

What are the key priorities and challenges for Arezzo Casa Spa?

“The main challenges the public and social housing sector faces in our region are obsolete regulations and laws, sudden changes in users and work management methods, and a serious lack of structural funds.

Operational and regulatory renewal is essential. The social housing system in force in Italy at the moment is stuck in the 90s of the last century. Many of the new challenges we face cannot be answered by obsolete mechanisms that are now out of historical context.

We joined Eurhonet with the desire to gain insights about working realities that are radically different from ours. We hope to learn about new, more dynamic, and effective procedures and operating methods to address the real needs that we face every day.”