Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
Over €23 million has been allocated to refurbish public property and assets seized from organised crime, converting them into social housing and co-housing facilities for individuals and families in conditions of severe socio-economic hardship and marginalisation. The regional department for family and social policy has published a public notice under the Sicily ERDF programme 2021–2027, open to Sicilian municipalities (either individually or in partnership), offering non-repayable funding for projects with a minimum value of €250,000.
“With this measure,” said Nuccia Albano, the member of the municipal executive responsible for social policy, “we are providing a strong and concrete response to housing needs and the new forms of poverty affecting our areas. We are making substantial EU ERDF resources available to local authorities to restore a social function to disused buildings and assets confiscated from the mafia. We are not just renovating walls or providing a roof for those in difficulty: we are promoting an innovative model of collaborative living and community welfare, supported by multidisciplinary pathways for accompanying and supporting the most vulnerable citizens. This is work carried out in the spirit of efficiency and inclusion.”
The funds will finance: building renovation, structural recovery and seismic upgrading, extraordinary maintenance, energy efficiency improvements, removal of architectural barriers and home automation in public property and assets seized from the mafia; the purchase of furniture, equipment and technological/digital resources (up to 20% of the granted contribution) strictly functional to the project; the creation of permanent, inclusive and non-segregated social housing solutions, integrated into the urban fabric with communal spaces, green areas and local services to promote community welfare.
The selection process involves a merit-based ranking procedure with criteria ranging from the feasibility of the intervention to management sustainability, rewarding projects that demonstrate greater synergy with ESF+ funds and strong complementarity with active inclusion policies. All interventions must also exceed a minimum score of 50 out of 85 and ensure strict compliance with EU environmental principles (Do No Significant Harm) and climate-proofing requirements.
