Lives off the market: Venice has a tourist bed for every citizen

A studio apartment costs about €900, but during the opening weekend of the Biennale, one night can be as high as 1,600. The molding in the corners of the ceiling reminds us that the fight against dampness was lost from the start. If you’re on the ground floor, at every high wave you have to hope it’s not high enough to invade your kitchen. and there should be at least five lamps, because in some alleys the sun never reaches it and it is dark even during the day in the house. This also means living in Venice. An increasingly empty city, where the difference between citizens and tourist beds is only 328 units. This is evidenced by the city meters installed by CIvicO on homes and residences

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Real estate bubble fueled by boom in short-term rentals and 110% bonuses(Ocio): The number of citizens is 49,474, the residence is 49,146.

The gap is slim and the spread of B&Bs and vacation homes is fast and careful, a true contagion, with no incubation periods. In April, for example, places for tourists increased by 600 units. According to the data processed by the Ocio activist, Alice Corona, since 2019 the population has decreased by 7% and beds for tourists have increased by the same percentage.

city ​​life The most beautiful thing in the world involves a thousand difficulties. Even the little things, like buying a computer, for example, or a bathing suit, toys to put under the Christmas tree or textbooks for school. You need to go to the mainland, most of the time. The little things that add up to the rest make you wonder who makes you do it, move better and that’s it. Think of your city, the city that you love and that has given you so much more than you have given it. Now imagine being besieged by tourists, 65,000 people on the long weekend of June 2nd. Few, if on other occasions they reach a hundred thousand.
This painful? Yes, at least a little bit, Maria Fiano d’Osio confirms it: «It is difficult to be an optimist. We need regulation of short-term rents and comprehensive housing policies.” The policies have also been demanded loudly by Ca’ Foscari students, who have pitched tents outside an office to protest the cost of rents. “More than 15 euros per square meter,” comments Marco Dario from Udu Venezia, “only in the past year it has grown by 13%.”

for their protestsHowever, mayor Luigi Brugnaro replied that “those who pay 700 euros in rent do not deserve a degree because they are being robbed” and then increased the dose, adding “it is not said that waiting for social pocket money or for the state to solve your problems is the best option”. In short, the fault lies with the boys. Not for those who ask for these numbers. Not from the system and those who do nothing to improve the situation.
At the same time, the problem of tourism also concerns those structures that are specially created for students, “such as the campuses of San Giub, Santa Marta and Combo,” explains Dario, “luxury campuses, which only a few can afford. In Santa Marta a double room costs 700 Euros, and for a single room 800 or 900”. What about regional scholarships? “About 800 applications against 2,900,” continues Dario. While these prices and economic aid are scanty, the institutions speak of the Città Campus model, which should attract 30,000 students to the center Then where they will be placed – since housing is inaccessible, finding a house is an impossible task, and the few that are there have exorbitant rents – we will see, we will think about it later.

difficulties Even for the less affluent. And here another housing scourge opens, as public housing – municipal and Atar – is vacant. In isolated Venice, there are 1,016, on the mainland 1,092, for a total of 2,208. Moreover, 70% of municipal apartments do not fall under public housing (erp), but under social housing. Every year, the number of ERPs decreases due to redevelopment of structures which are therefore included in social housing tenders. But many of them are still empty, only tourist sites are tirelessly filling up.

related to Politicians agree that we need to regulate tourist flows, but the key has not yet been found. There is talk of an entrance fee, a limited number, but some say no, because Venice is not a museum that you have to pay an entrance fee for. During political debates, citizens who remain resistant, with associations and committees dealing with the defense of public health, gay rights, Rete degli Studenti Medi, Friday for Future, realities that give life to cultural festivals of all kinds and artisans who are walked but do not give up. Next to the souvenir, the gun is a stockade.