The ex-Hotel Principe in Genoa is a historic building of architectural importance that occupies an excellent position; since it combines both urban and landscape features. It is located between the central Piazza Principe, the seafront of the old port and just a few minutes’ walk from the metro and mainline rail station of Porta Principe, as well as from the universities and the historic city centre. The building opens directly onto a pedestrian area that has been recently refurbished – Piazza Bersaglieri d’Italia – and is four storeys tall above ground with an attic floor. It was previously used as a Hotel and then as a Residence up until 2014.

The building was renovated by the previous owner in 2008 to create 40 residential units, a commercial space on the ground floor and 11 cellars which belong to the dwellings. Of the 40 dwellings created, at the time of the transfer of the building to Fondo Housing Sociale Liguria, 5 dwellings – all one-room studio apartments – had already been sold, 16 were rented, 1 was occupied by the caretaker and the remaining 18 were empty; as such, the dwellings that were part of the Fondo’s intervention were 34, equal to 1,874 sq.m. of Saleable Area. Among the dwellings that are part of the intervention, the predominant typology is the two-room apartment (27 units), but there are also one- and three-room apartments present. The units available as of September 2014 are 27, which is equivalent to 80% of the total and they have been designated for long-term rent (15 years) at an affordable rent of €70/sq.m./year. The apartments were all furnished and already under the management of Habitare Service S.r.l.

75% of the available Saleable Area is destined to affordable rent; 25% to rental at market prices. The agreements with Genoa Municipality were stipulated on 23 September 2014 and foresee that the 27 apartments that are immediately available are to be rented at affordable rent for the next 8 years and destined predominantly to single people, young couples, families (including one-parent families), out-of-town students and other individuals who have temporary housing requirements connected with work or study. Fondazione Carispezia promoted and agreed with the Fondo and the Social Manager that several apartments should be destined to deserving students from the Province of La Spezia who are studying in Genoa university.

FONDO HOUSING SOCIALE LIGURIA
FUND MANAGEMENT AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
Idea Fimit SGR
TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL SDVISOR
Fondazione Housing Sociale
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Comune di Genova

SOCIAL MANAGER
Habitare Service srl

OTHER ENTITIES INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT
Fondazione Carispezia