Italy is facing a housing crisis, with rent prices surging and students protesting the rising cost of living in big cities. According to the Bank of Italy, the gap between agents who expect rental prices to rise and those who expect them to go down is the highest since records began, at 45.9 percentage points. Property portal Idealista reported rents jumped nationwide by 10.1% year-on-year in April, hitting a record 12.5 euros per square metre.
In response, the government has announced an extra 660 million euros for student housing, while Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche is drafting a law to regulate short-term rentals. Ilaria Lamera, a student who used to spend two hours commuting each way from her house in the Bergamo province, urged regional authorities to “build new student residence halls, or provide incentives to home owners to persuade them to rent to students rather than platforms such as Airbnb”.
The housing crisis is a major issue for Italy, and the government is taking steps to address it. However, it remains to be seen if these measures will be enough to make a difference.