Tancredi Attinà, Abitare Toscana s.r.l.
Chiara Rizzica, Project Coordinator for Interreg Europe HEROES, Affordable Housing Enhancement and Regional Oversight for European Sustainability
Tuscany boasts a rich history of entrepreneurial, cooperative, and mutualistic practices that continue to generate concrete social innovation initiatives. Many of these projects emerge organically from local communities, operating alongside structured and fully funded initiatives like the Fondo Housing Toscano (FHT). Rooted in their territories, these organizations directly address real societal needs by providing support, shelter, inclusive spaces, and community cohesion.
However, because these initiatives operate within temporary, project-based frameworks dependent on time-limited and often co-funded financing, their physical use of spaces remains inherently temporary and bound to specific funding cycles. Notable examples can be found within the Fondo Housing Toscano framework, where housing services for vulnerable groups exist on a project basis: in fact, several of these housing services were launched under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP/PNRR). A critical question arises: what happens once project funding ends?
Many of these temporary services address fundamental societal needs and could formally qualify as Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI / SIEG). Recognizing them as such would allow for stable, permanent support, leveraging existing local expertise and community integration to bridge critical gaps in traditional public welfare systems.
European social funds could provide structural financial support for these housing services under the SGEI framework, creating economies of scale that ensure long-term system sustainability. The “Rigenerazioni” event—organized by Lumen and Urban Housing Coop.net and sponsored by Urbanpromo—explored these local practices to establish a viable legal and economic framework, which will be presented and critically analyzed during this conference session.
PROGRAMME
09:30 Opening
Introduction
Tancredi Attinà, Chief Executive Officer, Abitare Toscana Srl
Speakers
“Beyond the Project Timeline: Lessons from ‘Rigenerazioni’ and Services of General Economic Interest (SGEIs) for Housing Welfare”
Martina Gentili, Researcher, ARCO Laboratory (Action Research for CO-development)
“Experimenting with Social Housing under Tuscany Regional Law No. 38/2021”
Arianna Camellato, Social Manager, Abitare Toscana Srl; Social Manager of the Tuscan Housing Fund
“Institutional Continuity and Social Innovation in Housing Policies”
Chiara Rizzica, Project Coordinator, Interreg Europe HEROES – Affordable Housing Enhancement and Regional Oversight for European Sustainability
Roundtable discussion
Discussant
Flaviano Zandonai, Sociologist and Open Innovation Manager
Participants representing
Investire SGR SpA
Urban Housing Coop.net
Municipality of Livorno
Apulia Region
Abitare Toscana
ANCI Toscana
Conclusion remarks
Marina Leuzzi, Regional Councillor for Urban Planning and Housing, Apulia Region
Alessandra Nardini, Regional Councillor for Education, Gender Equality Policies and Housing, Tuscany Region
Graphic facilitator
Alfredo Carlo, No Control
11:30 Closing of proceedings
Italiano
Contributions