Transformative Reuse as Housing Policy. Reclaiming Public Non-Residential Assets to Expand Public Housing in Italy

Public housing in Italy has undergone a process of residualisation, marked by disinvestment, privatisation, and halt in construction, while housing needs have intensified and waiting lists continue to grow. In this context, policy innovation is rare, and the expansion of the public housing stock proves politically and financially challenging. One possible strategy is the transformative reuse of publicly owned non-residential assets – such as former schools, military facilities, or prisons – which can add dwellings while contributing to wider urban regeneration goals. The paper investigates the potential and limits of such an approach, drawing on the case of Florence and in particular the conversion of the former convent-then-prison Le Murate into a mixed-use complex with over 100 public dwellings. The analysis highlights key obstacles and enabling factors and discusses how transformative reuse may contribute to de-residualising public housing and reframing its social meaning.