Bergamo, the redevelopment works of an apartment for vulnerable people financed by the Pnrr were presented

Bergamo. The first of three redeveloped apartments was presented today thanks to the PNRR funding that the Municipality of Bergamo was awarded for the creation of an overall project that integrates measures, services and services aimed at supporting the life project of the person with disabilities and their inclusion in the social context.

It is a total financing of 714,994.00 euros, which the Bergamo Area obtained under the PNRR – Mission 5 “Inclusion and cohesion” – Investment line 1.2 “Paths to autonomy for people with disabilities”. The implementing entity, following a co-planning process, is a Temporary Grouping composed of RIBES Social Consortium, ProgettAzione Coop. Social Onlus And Consorzio Sol.Co Città Aperta Soc. Cooperativa Sociale. The Cooperatives that make the apartments available belong to the Consortia.

The ETS guarantee co-financing of approximately 29,000 euros in addition to the provision of the properties, on which a twenty-year restriction for public use has been placed. The three properties, the one in via Broseta whose work has been completed, and the other two in via Rovelli nearing completion, are made available respectively by Namaste cooperative and from ProgettAzione cooperative and will host overall 12 people (6 in via Broseta and 6 in via Rovelli) included in a path that involves three steps: the evaluation of specific needs, expectations, the environmental context in its broadest sense; the inclusion of each participant in the living context equipped with remote interaction tools and technologies; the creation of a training activity for people with disabilities involved aimed at activating internships and/or employment placement depending on the outcomes emerging from the training.

“The National Recovery and Resilience Plan represented for the city, in general, and for social services, in particular, an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen and innovate its main sectors (families, elderly, caregivers, people with disabilities and marginality) on on which, also as a Sector, we have worked for a long time in recent years with a view to co-programming and co-planning with other Third Sector entities. Tele assistance, home automation, interventions aimed at the autonomy and self-efficacy of people with disabilities have found, thanks to this funding, a further possibility of implementation through a project that aims above all at self-sufficiency, inclusion social and self-determination – so the councilor for social policies Marcella Messina.

“The Ribes Consortium is the leader of the group of Third Sector entities that participated in the co-planning with the Municipality of Bergamo in the PNRR action aimed at supporting the autonomy of people with disabilities – he says Valerio Mari, president of the Ribes Consortium -. Thanks to the resources received, it will be possible to take care of 12 people, preparing a personalized Life Project together with them and their families, which includes independent living in one of the three apartments that will be set up in the city, but also training actions on the use of digital technologies, to facilitate their entry into the world of work. To do this, in the next few weeks, two digital training rooms will be set up in the city where the operators of the Why Not cooperative, a member of Ribes, will launch digital literacy and training actions. In our opinion, this is an important opportunity for the city and its citizens, made possible thanks to the fruitful collaboration between different non-profit organizations and between the Third Sector and Public Bodies. A further demonstration of our territory’s ability to attract and make the most of the resources coming from the PNRR, in this case for the benefit of our most fragile fellow citizens”.

“The project expands the residential offer for people with disabilities, already tested with the ‘Light City project’, which is placed within a vision of living, where ‘feel at home in your own life’ – he states Mauro Tosti, project manager for the municipality of Bergamo’s disability contract for the Sol.Co Città Aperta Consortium -. The Sol.Co Città Aperta Consortium together with the Municipality of Bergamo, since 1998, has designed and managed, in network with other third sector entities, projects in favor of people with disabilities and brings the work within the PNNR carried out in recent years in building an inclusive community, which involves associations, oratories, volunteers and businesses. A network made up of relationships of trust and tested exchanges that allow the person with disabilities to imagine realistic life projects, linked to the life of the neighborhoods and of a ‘Competent and attentive Community'”.

THE VIA BROSETA 74 PROJECT

From September 2024, the apartment will be able to accommodate 6 people with medium-slight disabilities and/or social fragility. It will offer an environment where they can find protection, integrate and find a lifestyle suited to their personal characteristics. The location close to the city center will represent an extremely favorable condition for social, work and relational integration, as well as participation in cultural/entertainment initiatives present in Bergamo also facilitated by the passage of public transport on the urban network.

Accessibility

The entrance to the building is easy as it is at pavement level: there are no steps or ramps and there is an elevator serving the building. To guarantee all the use requirements prescribed for people with disabilities, a stair servo has recently been installed which reaches the first floor and therefore guarantees accessibility also to those who use wheelchairs.

Residential adaptation intervention

Starting from February 2024, a series of internal extraordinary maintenance works were carried out in the building: modifications to the internal dividers for the redefinition of the spaces and, in particular, to create accessory compartments such as closets and laundries functional to the new use, false ceilings in the central service spaces to allow the passage of new air conditioning and ventilation systems; complete renovation of the two bathrooms to adapt the spaces, sanitary ware and systems to the requirements prescribed by Ministerial Decree 236/89; redefinition/expansion of the living/living area and simultaneous relocation of the kitchen, replacement of all external windows and doors with new windows complete with motorized insulated shutters, also for the purposes of energy efficiency of the property, insertion of a summer air conditioning system with a multisplit system and complete renovation of the electrical system with home automation implementation.

Home automation and remote assistance

The topic of home automation is essentially divided into two components: automation and remote control of building parameters (automation of shutters, large appliances (washing machines and dryers), temperature control for each individual room using wi-fi thermostatic valves. In addition to the remote control of the intercom service) and innovative services with high technological value for monitoring the well-being and behavioral characteristics of fragile people, in their own home using non-intrusive sensors for environmental monitoring, functional to the safety and strengthening of the guests’ autonomy

“The BROSETA 74 apartment, made available by Namastè, represents a special opportunity for the cooperative and for the city of Bergamo and which will give life to a project with strong socio-educational values. As our philosophy dictates, the home represents the place of the heart, where people can find a context of protection and serenity that allows them to realize desires, strengthen their identity, develop paths of personal maturation, cultivate meaningful relationships. The house will be able to accommodate six people who will be supported by a team capable of offering protection, maintaining a constant link between the family network, the network of services and associations present in the area, promoting relational and shared life opportunities, accompanying with educational in building bonds that encourage life outside the apartment as much as possible, even in work or work placements, so Rita Florentihead of the Disability Area of ​​the Namastè Cooperative

THE VIA ROVELLI 45 PROJECT

In a condominium context within an ancient recently renovated courtyard, there are two apartments: the first consists of a large bedroom with two beds, a living area, bathroom and hallway; the second has two bedrooms with a total of four beds, bathroom, hallway, large living area. The first apartment which has an access staircase without a lift will be dedicated to people who do not have motor disabilities; the second, however, equipped with independent access, will have a stair lift. The renovation guarantees maximum energy efficiency and aims for zero-impact sustainability.

Home automation and remote assistance

The equipment of the housing units promotes the use of new technologies to improve the autonomy of people with disabilities, in particular the solution chosen is non-intrusive, i.e. it does not include any wearable device and/or cameras, but has the function of providing optimal support caregiver activities. Environmental remote monitoring therefore involves the installation of some devices for detecting the following variables: movement and presence in the rooms, brightness and temperature in the rooms, opening/closing of doors and windows, consumption of household appliances, smoke/flooding detection and presence of subject monitored in bed and estimation of his heart rate and respiratory movement when the latter is lying in bed.

In addition to the presence of professional figures on site, the apartments are connected to the internet and each guest will be equipped with a laptop with which they can experience various remote assistance and accompaniment services.

“In 2024 the ProgettAzione Cooperative turns 25 and I believe there is no better way to celebrate: being protagonists of such a challenging and ambitious project. Two apartments already owned by us which, until now, have been intended for totally autonomous social housing, are being renovated, redesigned and equipped to accommodate guests with even more complex needs. It is an honor for us to be able to offer our experience, both in terms of neuroscience (in the evaluation and drafting phase of the life plan) and educational accompaniment (in the experimentation phase of living independently). Thanks to the Municipality of Bergamo and the other project partners for this important opportunity – he explains Monia Caldarasocial housing coordinator and project manager for the PNRR of Cooperativa ProgettAzione.

OPEN APPLICATIONS

The possibility is open for citizens who meet the requirements to participate as beneficiaries in housing and work autonomy projects by applying, by 31 December 2024, through the Social Services – disability area. To date, eight people have been found eligible by applying.

https://www.comune.bergamo.it/node/737251

The application aimed at activating the paths referred to in this project must be shared in advance by the beneficiary, the care giver or his legal representative with the Social Service, with a view to information, verification of access requirements and accompaniment to the project overall life.