Gubbio housing crisis: Unions report demographic shifts and urban divide

Labor unions Spi Cgil, Fnp Cisl, and Uilp Uil have released a report titled ‘Abitare a Gubbio – Analisi e proposte’ detailing a growing housing crisis in Gubbio. The report highlights a city divided into three distinct zones: a tourist-centric center, a precarious periphery, and abandoned outlying hamlets.

In the city center, short-term rentals account for 25-30% of housing, displacing local residents and replacing neighborhood shops with souvenir stores. The periphery faces issues with aging buildings that incur high heating costs, while outlying areas suffer from poor lighting, damaged sidewalks, and abandoned public spaces.

Demographic data indicates a significant aging population, with 9.5% of residents over 80 and 32% of households consisting of a single person. The report identifies 135 families in acute housing emergencies—including instances of people living in garages—and 235 families in housing poverty. The unions are calling for a comprehensive ‘Piano casa’ (Housing Plan) involving regional institutions and public investment to support year-round residents.