On Tuesday, September 27, the SUPER-i project was present at the workshop “Social Housing Amabilina & SUPER-i: interventi di efficientamento energetico e riqualificazione nel social housing” in Marsala, Sicily.
The workshop was co-organised with the local project “Social Housing Amabilina”, a fellow project funded by PO FESR Sicilia 2014/2020 in the sector of the rebuilding and energy efficiency of social houses which aims to tackle energy poverty and improve the quality of life for people living in one of Marsala’s neighbourhoods.
SUPER-I contributed to the discussion by showing its innovative financial schemes developed from the pilot cases in Italy, Denmark and Slovenia presented by Paola Zerilli (University of York), Martina Di Gallo (CiviESCo Coordinator of the SUPER-I project), and Margot Bezzi (Agenzia per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea).
Cristina Davi from ATER Trieste presented the SUPER-i project’s Italian demo site. The works planned in Trieste aim to rebuild or requalify social houses by implementing different new technologies on the exterior and interior according to the buildings’ age, and solar systems that will help the life of its inhabitants to save money on energy bills.
The two projects of SUPER-i and Social Housing Amabilina are indeed at the forefront not only in terms of energy saving, but, as stressed during the event, these projects can be a starting point for a new concept of the urban areas.
The need of rethinking the social housing sector is essential to improve the marginalised areas and their inhabitant's life, by giving them new spaces to live in that meet the SDGs goals to create sustainable and inclusive cities, affordable energies, and end poverty (SDG 1, 7, and 11).
The SUPER-i project, in particular, is funded by Horizon 2020 and is framed within the Renovation Wave for Europe that stresses the importance to boost renovation in Europe as an action to contrast the energy poverty and people unable to warm their houses adequately, which in 2020 hit 8% of the European population, and it expected to be worsened with the Ukraine war and the following high increase of energy bills.
These were the shared conclusions that came out from the lively discussions with the representatives of the SUPER-i project and the Marsala Mayor, Massimo Grillo, the council members, Valentina Piraino and Eugenio Sardo, and the Iacp Trapani Director, Vincenzo Scontrino.
Nevertheless, The Social Housing Amabalina share the same purpose as SUPER-i. 25 social houses with a controlled rent will be erected, as well as new services such as the new blood test centre and GP ambulatories, a theatre, a library, and a sharing kitchen and living area. New gardens and streets are planned, and works are expected to end by February 2023, as stated by Engineer Piero Passalacqua, and the Head of the project, Giuseppe Giacalone.
The event was covered by local newspaper:
https://www.illocalenews.it/2020/index.asp?pag=news&cat=2&sotcat=35&art=15063
https://itacanotizie.it/2022/09/29/social-housing-amabilina/
