Immigration in genoa: Real estate demand survey in the historic centre

Migratory flows which characterized European cities over the last decade have generated profound changes in the social and economic tissue causing a housing demand with its own characteristics. In Italy, such phenomenon is particularly evident, not only in terms of property demand by foreigner residents, but also as to the turnover produced in terms of volume. Immigration in Genoa manifested itself starting from the second post-war period through a considerable flow of people coming from South of Italy regions looking for an occupation in many state industries and companies in the city or the port. The phenomenon ceased in the ‘70s with the beginning of the deindustrialization and it has been substituted by foreign immigration coming from North Africa and Central America poorest countries. New residents settle in the urban units of Molo, Maddalena and Prè (Historic Centre) abandoned by traditional inhabitants and where the lower prices level makes the buildings more accessible to this specific demand, often characterized by reduced economic capacities. In this context, the present contribution wants to propose the analysis of the immigration phenomenon which characterized Genoa over the last decade, through an investigation which examines the real estate demand expressed by new residents of foreign origin inside the city Historic Centre environment, and the following comparison with the real estate offer. The objective is to define the house accessibility condition by foreigners, also connected to the qualitative requests and their willingness to pay; the study was developed through specific questionnaires distributed to some real estate agents operating in the Historic Centre of the city. The collection of data relating to the income of residents also allowed the calculation of the Home Accessibility Index.