Renovation of the built heritage: Law 338/00 between the public and private sectors Innovazioni nel recupero del patrimonio costruito: la Legge 338/00 tra pubblico e privato

Law 338/00 “Disposizioni in materia di alloggi e residenze per gli studenti universi- tari” was enacted to reduce the gap between demand and offer of accommodation for “off-campus” students in Italy, favouring capable and deserving students without means and trying, at the same time, to in- crease and encourage the mobility of for- eign students towards our country. The Law establishes the principle of State co-financ- ing for the renovation projects on the exist- ing building stock and new constructions aimed at building and retrofitting univer- sity student accommodation. Co-financing of 75% of the project’s total cost is provid- ed by the Ministry of Universities and Re- search (MUR) through Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. The law conformity and the definition of objective eligibility criteria for the project are guaranteed by a minis- terial commission specifically appointed in agreement between the MUR and the Per- manent Conference for Relations between the State, the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano. The law and its implementing decrees define the procedural and technical as- pects of the projects by detailing, through quali-quantitative standards, a building typology that had no reference. The law is also innovative because it specifies that residences, in addition to offering housing services, must provide collective service spaces accessible to the general university community (Spagnoli, 2022). The five published calls demonstrate the continuity of the law: with the publi- cation of specific three-year plans (2004, 2009, 2012, 2018, 2023), the State, through the provision of about 1,5 billion euros, is financing the construction and retrofitting of almost 455 projects (259 already in use) and 55 thousand student accommodation places (about 38 thousand in use) (TESIS, 2024).