As a result of the Mettiamo su Casa! (Let’s Make a Home) call for proposals, seven projects have been selected to support adults with disabilities in living independent lives by fostering various forms of co-housing, innovative solutions, domotics and design. Aside from financing these moves, Enel Cuore has also set aside 36,000 euro to allow the not-for-profit F.I.S.H. (Federazione Italiana Superamento Handicap) – the Italian Federation for Overcoming Handicap – to support the organisations behind the selected projects in their various stages of implementation and monitoring, for one year. Below we explore the seven Mettiamo su Casa projects in detail.Convivenza Carolea (Carolea Co-living) The Convivenza Carolea (Carolea Co-living: Carolea is a type of olive) initiative, developed in tandem with Comunità Progetto SUD (the Southern Italian Community Project), promotes growth and empowerment opportunities for individuals with mental disabilities and psychiatric issues, by encouraging them to acquire work skills and to experiment with independent living methods. The project will involve making two mobile prefabs available on a plot of agricultural land. These will be adapted as social housing with both individual and social areas. Training internships in agricultural product processing and catering sectors will also be offered. Details Location: Settingiano (near Catanzaro) Association: Associazione Comunità Progetto Sud Beneficiaries: accommodation in the houses and internships for eight individuals Contribution: 110,000 euro Duration: 2017/2018Vado a vivere da solo (I’m Going to Live on My Own) Vado a vivere da solo (I’m Going to Live on My Own) is a project aimed at helping young people with Down’s Syndrome with some independent living experience to become even more self-reliant and less dependent on their families. The ultimate goal is, of course, to enable them to live and work completely independently. The Associazione Down Savona Onlus is providing two specially adapted and furnished apartments for the young adults to use on their journey to long-term independent living. Details Location: Savona Association: Associazione Down Savona Onlus (non-profit) Beneficiaries: 10 young people with Down’s Syndrome Contribution: 30,000 euro Duration: 2017Il diritto di diventare grandi (The Right to Grow up) Il diritto di diventare grandi (The Right to Grow Up) aims to help young people with Down’s Syndrome wanting to leave home and live independent lives locally with some assistance from the organisation’s staff. The project is being driven forward by the Pisa branch of the AIPD (Italian Association of People with Down’s Syndrome) and has resulted in a two-storey detached house being renovated and adapted to allow 10 young people to live independently while pursuing training courses and work experience in the catering and retail sectors. Details Location: San Giuliano Terme (near Pisa) Association: AIPD – Non-profit Italian Association of People with Down’s Syndrome – Pisa section Beneficiaries: 10 young people with Down’s Syndrome Contribution: 88,000 euro Duration: 2017Io sogno per me (I Dream for Myself) Making the dream of an independent life come true is now a possibility for young people with Down’s Syndrome who are already working independently, thanks to the Io sogno per me (I Dream for Myself) project. It will see a training apartment in a co-housing project adapted with both domotics and specialist furnishings, to enable three young people to try out periods of living independently flanked by a teacher. Details Location: San Giovanni in Lupatoto (near Verona) Association: Cooperativa Sociale Vale un Sogno Onlus Beneficiaries: 32 young people with intellectual disabilities over a 10-year period Contribution: 30,000 euro Duration: 2017A casa di Pepe (At Beppe’s House) The A casa di Pepe (At Beppe’s House) project aims to provide young people with intellectual disabilities with the opportunity to live in their own home and get a taste of greater independence, including financially. Turin’s Società Cooperativa Sociale Zenith flanks young people and adults with disabilities on this gradual journey to independence at extended care units in Turin by offering them a variety of options, including employment and training internships. Specifically, the project will furnish two training apartments on Via Giuria and Corso Francia, and provide support in finding employment through work grants and financing the staff’s activities. Details Location: Turin Association: Società Cooperativa Sociale Zenith Beneficiaries: 10 young adults with intellectual disabilities Contribution: 45,000 euro Duration: 2017Abitare fuori casa (Living Away from Home) Four young people with intellectual disabilities will get the opportunity to live together and experience personal and working life independence thanks to the I ragazzi di via Mazzini apartment, an initiative of Abitare fuori casa (Living Away from Home), a Fondazione Dopo di Noi (After Us) Bologna Onlus (non-profit) project. The project has enabled the apartment to be adapted to help a group of people with disabilities live independently with day-time assistance from teachers. Details Location: Bologna Association: Fondazione Dopo di Noi Bologna Onlus Beneficiaries: four young people with intellectual disabilities Contribution: 50,000 euro Duration: 2017Casa mia più di una casa (My House More Than a Home) The Casa mia più di una casa (My House More Than a Home) project is helping a group of young people with Down’s Syndrome to live independently with the assistance of a domotics platform installed in an apartment that will ultimately have permanent residents. The platform both improves the safety and enhances the personal independence of the Casa Futura (Future Home) guests. Details Location: Rome Association: Fondazione Italiana Verso il Futuro Onlus Beneficiaries: 6 young adults with Down’s Syndrome Contribution: 100,000 euro Duration: 2017
