Third Report of the Affordable Housing Observatory on Milan
The third report of the Affordable Housing Observatory (OCA), promoted by the Consorzio Cooperative Lavoratori (CCL) and the Libera Unione Mutualistica (LUM) cooperative in partnership with the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU) at the Politecnico di Milano, has been released. The study, coordinated by Professor Massimo Bricocoli and researchers Marco Peverini and Lorenzo Caresana updates the analysis of access to housing in Milan and its urban region, confirming a continued deterioration in housing affordability.
The report shows that the increase in housing costs continues to outpace income growth: prices and rents are rising faster than wages, making access to housing increasingly difficult for large segments of the population, particularly low- and middle-income households.
The analysis also points to a gradual reduction in the supply of permanent housing, alongside a rise in temporary tenancies and short-term rentals. It highlights how the affordability crisis is no longer confined to Milan but affects much of the wider urban region. For many workers living in the hinterland, especially commuters, the combined costs of housing and transport place a significant burden on income.
“Housing is a strategic infrastructure for economic competitiveness and social cohesion”, emphasise the Politecnico di Milano researchers involved in the study, underlining the urgent need for structural, long-term policies capable of addressing housing, mobility and employment in a coordinated manner.