Illegal housing in Naples: Prosecutor's Office and City Council reach agreement: 800 buildings can be demolished immediately.

A faster path to demolishing illegal buildings and restoring legality throughout the area. The Public Prosecutor's Office and the City of Naples are joining forces with a memorandum of understanding aimed at expediting the demolition of illegal structures and protecting the city's historical, landscape, and environmental heritage.

The three-year agreement was signed at Palazzo San Giacomo by the Public Prosecutor of the Court of Naples, Nicola Gratteri, and Mayor Gaetano Manfredi.

The protocol governs the operational collaboration between the V Section - Demolition Office of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Municipal Anti-Illegal Building Service to enforce final criminal sentences entered in the Administrative Sanctions Enforcement Register.

The goal is to unblock and expedite demolitions related to final convictions, some of which have been pending since 2009. Some of the violations concern areas of particular historical and landscape value, including the historic center of Naples, protected by UNESCO.

The Municipality will be responsible for carrying out technical inspections and site inspections, following the necessary procedures to obtain funding, and recovering expenses incurred directly from convicted residents. The municipal administration currently has €4,5 million in its budget earmarked specifically for demolitions.

"The signing of this memorandum of understanding with the Public Prosecutor's Office represents a decisive and concrete step towards the defense of our territory and the establishment of legality in Naples," declared Mayor Gaetano Manfredi.

"Thanks to this operational synergy and the use of logistical grouping and geolocalization criteria, we will be able to make the demolition process much faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective."

The mayor also reiterated the need to protect cultural heritage and the historic center, while ensuring the support of social services in vulnerable situations.

The numbers and priorities of the operation were outlined by prosecutor Nicola Gratteri. "Before I took office in Naples, 71 demolitions were carried out each year; now we've reached 181. We focused first on the Phlegraean Fields and Ischia," the prosecutor explained.

Gratteri also clarified the criteria used in selecting properties for demolition. "First, we demolish the homes of those with criminal records. We're not focusing on illegally constructed dormers. We'll get to that, but there's a rational approach: first, we'll focus on completely illegal three- or four-story buildings."

The protocol could significantly accelerate the work already underway. "There are around 800 homes that can be demolished starting tomorrow," Gratteri said, emphasizing the need to address the cost issue.

The Prosecutor's Office has a white list of companies authorized to carry out the work, while regional resources may also be used. The Municipality will subsequently be able to seek financial compensation from those responsible for the abuses. "It's important to clarify that this is not a matter of discretion, but a mandatory act," the Prosecutor stated.

Before the bulldozers intervene, discussions will be encouraged with the owners to allow them to proceed with the demolitions themselves, thus reducing costs. This strategy, according to data provided by Gratteri, has already produced significant results. "By proceeding in this way, we have so far seen at least 30 percent of spontaneous demolitions."

"This too is a message of legality, to demonstrate that this Administration has nothing to do with Camorra members and fixers. If we all respect the law, the city's image and everyone's quality of life will benefit," Gratteri concluded.