SOCIAL HOUSING BY PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP: A COMPARISON BETWEEN ITALIAN, FRENCH AND U.S. POLICIES

The Paper investigates the private involvement in housing policies through the comparison of three Nations with different histories and approaches: Italy, France, and United States. Italy is by far the Nation with less experience in PPP in social housing. The choice by the Legislator to involve private investors in this sector was made only in 2008, with the creation of the new (for the Nation) concept of ???Edilizia Privata Sociale??? (Private Social Housing) and the establishment of a Maxi Property Fund by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (Deposits and Loans Fund) dedicated to promote the creation of local funds participated by both public institutions and local investors. So far the measure has not achieved targets defined, with only few projects realized. In the European Union, France is one of the most active Nations in the field. Housing policies are based on the HLM (Habitation a Loyer Modéré), introduced by law 7th August 1957, organizations both public and private that acquire and operate rental housing for families with low and moderate income. Then it is examined the evolution of American housing policies, analyzed through the various housing acts promulgated, up to the involvement in 1986 of private operators in rental affordable housing with the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), also known by the name of the measure that it emanates, Section 42. Studying and comparing these heterogeneous realities the paper identifies and analyzes the main implementation methods of housing policies that involves private investors and developers, in order to systematize the best practices and provide support to decision makers for the identification of those models ???exportable??? in other contexts.