HOUSING AND SOCIAL POLICIES – A video to spread the proposal articulated by Cidas in collaboration with the Municipality and UniFe
Is called “Contact – Living Cooperative” the system created to bring together the offer of spaces available in private homes and the need of students looking for accommodation in Ferrara. The project, which has been in operation for almost a year, was illustrated in today’s meeting, Thursday 16 May 2024, in the Tapestry Room of the municipal residence of Ferrara.
The meeting with journalists was attended bycouncilor for social and housing policies of the Municipality of Ferrara, the rector of the University of Ferrara Laura Ramaciottithe vice-rector for student relations at the University of Ferrara Marco Luca Pedronithe manager of the elderly sector of the Cidas Cooperative Milena Maltoni and the coordinator of the “Contatto – Abitare Cooperativo” project Sabina Mucchi.
The spirit of the initiative, born from a proposal from the social cooperative Cidas which found the support and collaboration of the Municipality of Ferrara and the University of Ferrara, is to give added value to the search for a home in the name of relationships social networks of mutual support between different generations. A story of the project and the concrete experiences that arose from it has been collected in the video available at the link www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvivoq96ZUw.
For info on “Contact – Abitare Cooperativo”:
⁃ Call cell. 342 953 9141 from Monday to Friday, 2.30pm-5.30pm;
⁃ Send a Whatsapp message to 342 953 9141;
⁃ Write to [email protected]
Website: https://www.progetto-contatto.it
THE PROJECT SHEET – Four meetings between citizens and student candidates, two cohabitation projects launched, almost 150 people interested in joining. This is the balance sheet of the first year of activity of “Contatto – Abitare Cooperativo”, the project created by Cidas which intends to combat the social marginalization of single families and at the same time support non-resident students enrolled at university in their search for accommodation of Ferrara. The project is supported with 20 thousand euros from the Municipality of Ferrara – contribution provided through one of the 6 public tenders open from 2021 dedicated to Third Sector entities – and with 20 thousand euros from the University of Ferrara.
Presented at the end of July 2023, 185 potential stakeholders in the area were involved in the first experimental period (voluntary organisations, social promotion associations, third sector bodies, philanthropic bodies, association networks, social enterprises, pharmacies, businesses, trade unions and patronages, credit institutions, religious institutes and Chamber of Commerce). Thus, on the project website www.progetto-contatto.it, 62 requests arrived from citizens interested in becoming ‘hosts’ and 83 students looking for a housing solution. From here, 2 co-housing experiences were successfully launched.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FAMILIES WHO APPLIED:
- Single adults (up to 64 years): 21;
- Single adults aged 65/74: 17;
- Couple up to 64 years old without children: 13;
- Couple over 65 without children: 3;
- Couples with children (over 65 years): 8
Host citizens can request a monthly fee of no more than 250 euros for the utilities fee.
REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENT APPLICATION:
In order to join “Contatto – Abitare Cooperativo”, students of the University of Ferrara must:
- Be a non-local resident;
- Be enrolled in the first year of the three-year degree or the first year of the single-cycle master’s degree at Unife;
- Have an ISEE preferably within 27 thousand euros;
- Share the project’s mission regarding cohabitation.
After the applications, a multidisciplinary team comes into play with the task of carrying out interviews with citizens and students, organizing appointments at homes and making matches based on the affinities that emerged from the meetings.
Laura Ramaciotti, Rector of the University of Ferrara: “We appreciate the first results obtained with the project, which has proven to be an important resource for our off-site students. The renewal of the collaboration with Cidas for the next academic year is a natural step towards the strengthening of this initiative, essential for the well-being and support of our student community. This innovative formula has integrated and enriched the range of actions that our University, together with institutional and local partners, is implementing on the education front. university housing, a topic on which our attention remains high”.
Milena Maltoni, project coordinator for the Cidas Cooperative: “As a social cooperative, we are committed to identifying and addressing emerging needs, proposing quality solutions that bring tangible benefits to our community. This co-housing project was born from this perspective, aiming to treat living not only as a material necessity, but as a social opportunity. The main objective is to facilitate the meeting between people with different needs, encouraging coexistence that generates not only economic, but above all relational, social and social benefits. psychological. Although “Contatto” has only been active for a few months, the support of the municipal administration and the university strengthens confidence in its future development and confirms its potential”.
Downloadable images:
