Eviction Threat Looms Over Mother and Daughter in Milan’s Calvairate, Sparking Community Protest
Milan, January 29 – A mother and her 9-year-old daughter in the popular Calvairate district of Milan are at the center of a heated dispute after reportedly receiving an eviction threat from Aler (Azienda Lombarda Edilizia Residenziale Milano). The incident has ignited strong community protests, with residents rallying in defense of the family and condemning Aler’s methods as ‘wrong and disproportionate’.
The ordeal began on Thursday, January 22, when Aler inspectors visited the apartment of the woman and her daughter, who have resided in an Aler property on Via Tommei 2 for approximately six years. According to the Molise-Calvairate-Ponti Tenants’ Committee, electricity to the apartment was cut off the same day, and the woman was informed that an eviction would follow shortly, giving her only two or three days to leave. The electricity meter was registered to the previous tenant, a common situation for unauthorized occupants who cannot register utilities in their own names, despite the woman asserting that bills were regularly paid.
Community Mobilization and Calls for a Moratorium
The situation quickly escalated, leading to a significant mobilization within the neighborhood. On Friday, January 23, the Tenants’ Committee initiated protests outside the Via Tommei 2 residence, which continued into the following days. On Monday, January 26, and Tuesday, January 27, at 8:00 AM, the daughter’s classmates and their mothers gathered outside the home to accompany her to school, effectively preventing the mother from leaving the house. This initiative, organizers stated, will persist until a response is received from Aler or the Prefecture.
Grazia Casagrande, from the Tenants’ Committee, explained to ilfattoquotidiano.it, “We have asked for a suspension of evictions at least until the end of the school year, to protect the health of children already traumatized by highly unstable situations. This would give mothers more time to find a housing solution during the summer.” The Committee also reported direct contact with the President of Aler, who allegedly stated he was unaware of imminent evictions and assured the Milan Municipal Councillor for Housing and Social Policies that no eviction would proceed for now. However, electricity has not been restored, leaving the family in the dark.
Wider Concerns and Criticisms of Aler’s Approach
The case of Via Tommei is not isolated. The Tenants’ Committee reports that similar situations are affecting several families in the neighborhood, primarily single mothers with children. Casagrande criticized Aler’s inspection methods, stating, “Inspectors are threatening evictions without respecting the normal procedures outlined by law. In some cases, these are families with disabled minors.” The Committee emphasizes that all affected families have been supported by Milan’s social services and the Committee for years.
“The problem is that evictions are announced suddenly and then dumped on social services, which have long intervention times. In these cases, the only alternative they can offer is temporary accommodation at Casa Jannacci, a solution that is unsustainable for a minor. Meanwhile, people are left without a home or essential utilities,” added Casagrande.
A significant point of contention raised by the Committee is the perceived inconsistency in Aler’s enforcement. “In the neighborhood, there are much more serious situations of unauthorized occupation that are not addressed,” Casagrande stated, citing instances of sub-letting and drug dealing in other buildings. “Instead, they intervene against single mothers with children. There is a lack of hierarchy, and only the weakest are targeted.”
Lack of Alternatives and Empty Social Housing
The absence of viable alternatives further complicates the situation. Unauthorized occupants are legally barred from applying for social housing or accessing transitional housing solutions for five years. Casagrande highlighted the vulnerability of these families: “These are single mothers with dependent children. In this family’s case, the father disappeared during the pregnancy, and the mother has only been able to rely on sporadic and irregular work. In another case, we are talking about a woman with four children who became a widow after her husband’s death two or three years ago, where he was working illegally. Today she lives on odd jobs, and an eviction would be a tragedy. There are also two single mothers with disabled children who, despite having regular jobs, would still not be able to afford private rents in Milan.”
The Committee also points to the paradox of empty social housing units. In the Calvairate district, approximately 300 Aler apartments are reportedly vacant, sealed with steel plates, and unused. “They take back houses, and then they remain empty, while vulnerable families are removed without warning. This is the contradiction,” concluded Casagrande.
Municipal Criticisms and Calls for Legislative Change
Simonetta D’Amico, PD Vice President of the Municipal Housing Commission, echoed these concerns, telling ilfattoquotidiano.it, “The method adopted is wrong and disproportionate. Eviction operations must respect clear criteria of severity and social priority, particularly protecting families with minors.” D’Amico noted that while the eviction appears to be temporarily halted, the situation remains critical. “The President of Aler has assured that the eviction will not proceed, but the home remains without electricity after the intervention of inspectors with the Carabinieri: it is unacceptable to exacerbate situations of fragility and compromise the educational continuity of children, especially considering that many evicted housing units then remain empty.” D’Amico concluded by urging the Region to change its legislation to provide structural support for those in need, thereby preventing new social emergencies.
Source: https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/01/28/sgombero-donna-milano-calvairate-proteste-notizie/8271769/
