In Milan, a building owned by the City and operated by the cooperative ‘Arca’ is being transformed into a model of sustainable housing, providing support for people struggling with addiction. Renovation works, which had been delayed by a storm causing significant roof damage and bureaucratic hurdles, are set to commence this week. Planned improvements include the installation of a new roof with BIPVT [solar energy technology that combines both photovoltaic (PV) and thermal solar systems], the replacement of radiators with fan coils powered by a water-to-air heat pump, as well as the addition of ventilated and non-ventilated façades and an external battery.

This demo is part of Housing Europe’s RE-SKIN project, a joint EU-funded effort aimed at retrofitting social housing to reduce both energy consumption and embodied carbon emissions. Partner organisations, such as French social housing provider Vilogia and Valdés in Asturias, Spain, are also participating, using buildings for testing and development of the multifunctional retrofit system.

The RE-SKIN renovation kit was unveiled at a demo event, sparking important discussions on tackling Milan’s housing crisis while navigating the city’s regulatory and financial challenges. Milan’s housing councillor, Guido Bardelli, presented the city’s newly approved municipal housing plan, which seeks to construct 10,000 new homes aimed at middle-income households who are being priced out of the housing market. Under the new plan, rents for affordable housing will be capped at one-third of tenants’ salaries, which range from €1,500 to €2,000 per month.