Homeless in Palermo: 3,000 Families Protest in Prefecture, Awaiting Housing

Last Updated: September 4, 2023

In Palermo, there are about three thousand families waiting for the city’s waiting lists to be processed for the assignment of housing. The waiting times are very long, despite the increasing urgency of the situation. This morning, a group of around thirty families who had occupied a building on Corso Pisani and had received eviction notices gathered outside the prefecture’s office. The protesters highlighted the large number of tourists and visitors in the city, which boosts the local economy but limits the availability of affordable housing. The housing crisis is becoming increasingly critical, with regional data showing over 15,000 families in need of housing. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of updates to the waiting lists, which do not reflect the actual demand. The blame is placed on the municipal department of social policies, which has shown little interest in addressing the emergency. The responsibility also falls on the housing emergency delegate, Antonella Tirrito, for not finding a solution to the housing crisis. The trade union estimates that there are over 45,000 vacant houses in the Palermo area that have been privatized, and the tourism industry worsens the situation as many owners prefer to rent to tourists rather than make housing available to the local population.