Amidst a political and economic debate and the so-called “Save Rome” decree, the houses of the Capitoline Hill in the eternal city suffer. The administers that govern the capital have decided to clear the real estate situation by putting a series of stores and apartments, that until present have belonged to the Roman Commune, up for sale.
To be more specific, almost six hundred Italian properties, of which half are residential, are to be put on the market. The remaining properties have been classified as non-residential and therefore potential commercial properties. The Capitulate Assembly has yet to pass the auction, which is planned for the spring, in order to allow the Roman Commune to get closer to the 250 million euro that is expected from the operation.
However, it is foolish to think that purchasing a luxury Roman property will be that easy. Many of the properties which fall under this category are already occupied by elderly people under old housing contracts, meaning the costs are much inferior than the standards of today. The tenants that reside in these properties, in sought after areas such as Trastevere or close to the Coliseum, will have the right of first refusal if they wish to purchase the properties. Whereas the majority of the 300 commercial properties have been neglected and shall be auctioned to the highest bidder.
The Roman Commune hasn’t chosen this course of action solely for financial reasons, but also to find a solution for the urgency of houses in the city. Perhaps, the vacant houses could lead to providing a place to live for families in need.
