Abstract

Rented accommodation is a good transitory housing option for young people’s independence, as it is more flexible and affordable than homeownership. However, renting is not automatically associated with well-being, especially in urban areas where the cost of living and housing has become disproportionately high for lower incomes. The article examines the relationship between housing and poverty among young people in Italy. In particular, we focus on several dimensions of housing poverty – viz., objective and subjective housing unaffordability and housing deprivation – with particular attention to young people living in urban settings. Using cross-sectional data from the EU-SILC Italian survey (2009-2020), the article also examines the role of public policies in helping young people cope with housing costs, and assesses the effectiveness of allocating public resources to different types of instrument through a rent recalibration exercise.