Ed minister says student rent crisis fault of C-L councils

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 10 - Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said Wednesday a student rent crisis was the fault of centre-left councils which had allegedly failed to put in place policies to help young people get affordable housing.
    Students across Italy have been camping out in front of their universities to protest the exorbitant cost of renting accommodation, with the highest-profile protests coming in Milan, Rome, Florence and Bologna, all cities run by centre-left Democratic Party (PD) led councils.
    "I believe that the problem of high rents is serious but it affects the cities ruled by the centre left, and I'd like to point out that in the cities where there are students camping out, policies in favour of young people and students to offer them a decent accommodation panorama have not been activated by the councils," Valditara told Sky TV.
    His statement brought a sharp response from Florence's PD Mayor Diego Nardella, who tweeted: "Valditara passes the blame for the rent crisis hitting students onto centre left cities. As if it depended on the mayors! But where was the minister while his government voted in December to cancel the national rent fund? There's no limit to shame". (ANSA).