Officials in Italy's northern city Turin have praised a new pilot housing solution project as a growing success. It could serve as a blueprint for other communities across the country.
The scheme has several nuclear families of different migrant backgrounds and nationalities live together in larger dwellings.
"Since the end of December, 46 people -- including both adults and children -- belonging to nuclear families of different nationalities, all of whom have been in Italy for over a year and already registered in the inclusion and solidarity lists, were hosted in Turin in five different lodgings made available through the prefect's office cost-free," city officials said of the project that is run with help from the Red Cross.
"With the granting of flats cost-free to the Red Cross, the City of Turin is moving forward with the social inclusion initiative started through the Moi-Migranti un'Opportunità di Inclusione project," said city councillor Valentina Cera, in charge of social, youth, and equal opportunities affairs.
"We are contributing to the integration of families, and this model of reception spread across several areas and integration into the local communities can serve as an example for local authorities."
Provincial Red Cross chief Giuseppe Vernero underscored the important role that volunteers play in the reception of migrants.
He said that for this initiative, "we hired four people, and among the volunteers are psychologists, cultural mediators, doctors, nurses, and people engaged in manual labor.