Lazio launches €3 million program to repurpose confiscated mafia assets

The Lazio region has issued a new public call, “Spazi di legalità 2026”, allocating €3 million to municipalities, provinces and Rome’s city and metropolitan administrations for the renovation and social reuse of properties seized from organised crime. Each project can receive up to €200 000 as a grant covering 100 % of eligible costs, with €600 000 earmarked for proposals from Rome and €2.4 million for the rest of Lazio. The initiative, explained by regional security adviser Luisa Regimenti, follows earlier funding that turned former illicit sites into libraries, social‑inclusion spaces and community services.

National data show the scale of Italy’s confiscated‑asset system: Eurispes estimates €4.66 billion in seized real estate, about 47 000 properties, of which just over half (52 %) have been fully allocated. The highest concentrations are in Sicily, Campania and Calabria, with Lazio also holding a large share. In parallel, local authorities in Lamezia Terme intervened to stop illegal occupations of public housing, sealing the buildings to protect public assets and prevent unauthorised settlement. Together, these actions illustrate ongoing efforts to turn seized mafia assets into legal, community‑benefiting spaces across the country.