Self-build

The self-builder's input into this process varies from doing the actual construction, also known as DIY, to contracting certain works to an architect or building package company.

[citation needed] In Italy self-build has been, for some decades after World War II, a common practice among the lower class, widely used in squatting areas like the Borgate Romane (Rome) or the suburbs in the north of Naples and around Palermo.

Nowadays self-build is rather used as a partial support to house building where the construction of the structural parts (foundation, walls, roof ....) is committed to professionals companies.

In some middle-sized cities like Ravenna and Padova masonry classes and build materials were offered to people living in gypsies equipped areas in order to help them to improve their huts.

During this period government programmes were not able to ensure enough housing and also the private production was unattractive due to the low wages of a large part of the population.

In this difficult situation, many irregular settlements developed, and some researcher and politician started to sustain that supporting and improving self-build processes rather to fight them was a possible solution to the popular housing issue.

So during 1970s public policy started to support low-income self-builder offering them services, core units and in some cases land-ownership regularization.

in 2008 the National Self Build Association (NaSBA) was established to order to put pressure on relevant bodies, including the Government, to remedy this situation.