Lepore (Bologna) to the Committee of the Regions: “More funding for the housing crisis, or EU cohesion will break down”

Brussels – “Cities have demonstrated greater efficiency than national governments in managing NRRP funds, responding swiftly to critical issues such as the water crisis, competitiveness, and housing.” The Mayor of Bologna, Matteo Lepore, on the sidelines of today’s (7 May) plenary session of the Committee of the Regions, launched a direct appeal to the Vice-President of the European Commission, Raffaele Fitto: an urban chapter in the EU budget. “If there are no resources for cities, the mechanism of cohesion breaks down,” warned the mayor, describing urban cohesion as a fundamental pillar of democracy and inclusion in Europe. 

The mayor did not hold back on criticism of the Italian government’s housing plan, describing it as currently “highly flawed” and lacking any real consultation with local authorities. Lepore expressed serious concern about funding: “There are not enough resources; they are simply reallocating funds that already belong to the cities. We need a housing plan for new resources.” His proposal is for a steering committee that includes ANCI (the National Association of Italian Municipalities), metropolitan cities, and small municipalities to jointly manage resources, preventing special commissioners from overriding local urban planning schemes. 

Finally, Lepore drew attention to the importance of a European social agenda that tackles the housing crisis “seriously.” While welcoming the Commission’s Housing Plan as a starting point, the mayor highlighted the chronic lack of funding. Fierce urban competition, if not balanced by public investment, risks creating unfair competition (dumping) that drives middle-class families out of city centres. For the mayor, “if we truly want to move Europe forward, we need public resources dedicated precisely to this: rebalancing the market. Not to prop up a market that then crushes people in our communities.”