Two million and 200 thousand euros to renovate the former slaughterhouse of Scicli

Scicli, 2,196,800 euros to transform the former slaughterhouse into housing for seasonal workers

A funding of 2 million 196 thousand 800 euros will allow for the renovation of the former municipal slaughterhouse in the Canfoli district, closed for decades, and its conversion into housing units for seasonal agricultural workers.

The administration led by Mayor Mario Marino is the only one in the province of Ragusa to have obtained resources as part of the initiatives promoted by the Regional Department of Social Policies and Family to improve the living conditions of workers. This was announced by the mayor of Scicli himself.

Thanks to almost 2.2 million euros, the building will be fully restored and repurposed: the main building, consisting of two levels (ground floor of about 660 square meters and first floor of about 147 square meters), and the external area of 250 square meters will undergo a redevelopment aimed at creating decent and safe accommodation spaces.

The intervention is part of the Su.Pr.Eme. 2 program, promoted by the Sicilian Region with European funds, which aims to provide adequate housing solutions to overcome situations of hardship, prevent marginalization, and combat the exploitation of laborers.

Sicily is among the five regions of Southern Italy receiving a total investment of over 31 million euros, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and supplemented by the Fami 2021-2027 and Fse+ 2021-2027 programs.

According to the agreement signed between the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies and the Sicilian Region, Department of Social Policies and Family, for the start of the infrastructural works provided by Su.Pr.Eme. 2, a significant share of 7,926,373.54 euros is allocated to the Island. The resources will enable concrete interventions in Campobello di Mazara, Canicattì, and Scicli, strategic agricultural areas with a strong presence of seasonal workers during harvest periods.

The actions include the recovery and redevelopment of properties to be allocated for the hospitality of workers, with the aim of providing dignified housing and combating the so-called “agricultural ghettos”, realities that in some areas of the South, during peak seasons, can host over 2,500 people.

Planning in Sicily is based on an in-depth research and mapping effort carried out with the previous P.I.U. Su.Pr.Eme. project, from which the report “The Emergence of Non-Places. The Living Conditions of Migrant Workers in Exploitative Situations in Sicily” emerged. The study has cataloged 115 informal settlements and dilapidated structures in the regional territory, identifying the contexts in which workers in the agricultural sector live in conditions of vulnerability and insecurity.

The Sicilian Region is not only a beneficiary of resources but also leads the interregional partnership of Su.Pr.Eme. 2 together with Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Nova National Consortium for Social Innovation.