Municipal Council Approves Housing, Safety and Spending Amendments

Three out of the four amendments presented have been approved by the majority.

Spending commitments amounting to approximately 400 million lire have been approved by the municipal council at the suggestion of the opposition. This represents a highly positive outcome that Ds-Ppi and Rifondazione successfully secured from the latest city council meeting.

On one hand, the administration has decided to initiate housing recovery projects for the cellars of the Cinque Continenti area, allocating 300 million to a «fund» for the acquisition of overcrowded and degraded buildings put on the public auction.

This initiative involves 16 small apartments created from basements and legalized through a regularization process.

Public housing initiatives

“Castiglione,” explains Giovanni Saviola from Ds, “has not benefited from public housing initiatives by Aler, former Iacp, or municipal programs that could alleviate the increasing housing difficulties faced by residents and workers in the area.”

Thus, a first response to the housing tension that characterizes a growing municipality like Castiglione.

The second approved amendment proposes providing a equipped office available for use by groups and individual councilors.

The planned expenditure for this is 50 million, which could be sourced from delaying amortizations until 2002.

Additionally, a fund of 30 million will be generated from the attendance fees of councilors, assessors, and the mayor (or alternatively, from delaying amortizations), to be allocated to the Safety Commission.

Objectives and evaluations

“With this money,” explains Saviola, “immediate interventions could be carried out for victims of assaults or criminal events. Or, insurance policies could be contracted, or conferences organized.”

“I believe,” concludes the councilor, “that all this signifies a different climate in our relations with the majority. A climate that we consider highly positive. The only downside is that, regarding the amendment from the Safety Commission, Lega, which also expressed its president’s opinion, chose to abstain.”