Help for building renovation costs

Hello my name is Francesco, I’m 50 years old and I live in Naples, Italy, with my wife and my daughter 6 years old.

I lost my job since 2013 by now and unfortunately I’m still unemployed due to the financial crisis still running in Italy. My age is a problem for being hired, because the italian Government gives tax benefits to those employers who hire people within 30 years old only. In any case, I try to keep my days busy with helping at home, having care of my daughter and lately attending to a free course as family assistant.

Only my wife works, doing many occasional jobs, so our monthly income is not more than 700 Euro. With such small amount we have to pay the loan for the flat, bills, taxes, school meals and of course we have to buy food for all of us. You all can imagine that it’s not easy to live like this but thanks God we are used to make miracles even with few. There is no welfare in Italy and so there are a lot of people living under the line of poverty, as you can easily read on Internet.

We live in a working-class neighborhood.

Some months ago we had a condominium meeting where the house manager told us that the buildings need an urgent renovation because they found several construction faults that in a short time will put in danger the safety of people.

Actually the parking area asphalt surface is broken after winters of huge rains and constant cars transit (there are also some sinking traces), so the garage area below has severe water seepage, its walls have gone moldy and then the Safety Department soon will declare the garage unfit for the use.

- The roofs of the buildings have to be newly rain-proofed because the last floor flats (including mine) have water seepage and mold.

- The elevators need to be renewed according to the new safety rules.

- Water meters became old and they don’t show the real consumption of water.

- External and internal walls of buildings need to be painted again.

These are the main problems but there are some others that we need to solve as well.

The extimated total cost of such renovation is around 629.000 Euro, so it means around 2859 Euro for each family. Of course I don’t have such amount so I showed the other owners my problem. You have to know that most of them are pensioners or some are still working and then their incomes are surely bigger than mine. Unfortunately nobody seemed to believe me, rather some even laughed at me saying: “How come you don’t have such amount as savings? If not, then ask bank for a loan!”. I didn’t want to get angry any longer so I left the meeting. Those stupid don’t know that I cannot ask for any other loan without having a job and I don’t have relatives or friends that can help me, anyone has his own troubles so I can understand them well.

In Italy we have a proverb that in old english should sound like this: “The fat man knoweth not what the lean thinketh”. I can’t believe that people can be so selfish but that’s it. I think that the times we are living let the spirit of community to die little by little.

Anyway, few days ago I had the insult added to injury when I’ve been asked to pay a first deposit of 300 Euro.

I’m afraid that soon I will receive a letter from a lawyer firm asking me to pay the deposit and later the rest of the amount. What’s next? Well, if I had something to sell I would do that but unfortunately after losing my job I already sold most of my beloved stuffs, such as my electronic keyboard, my electric guitar, clothes, books etc. Now I have only some few things and frankly saying I would like to keep them with me, they belong to a happy past, they are my memories. Someone told me that it would be better to sell my house because sooner or later the building administration will ask the court to sell it to have the money I cannot pay for the renovation. It sounds crazy, but they can sell my house for having less than 3000 Euro, law allows them to do that, no matter if me and my family will go in the street!

That’s my story, I’m here, putting my face, to ask for your kind help. It’s a relief to know that fundraising is available if you are faced such a big problem. I would be so happy to reach a first goal, if you could help me to get the 300 Euros in a short time and later, little by little, the rest of the amount.

What can I say? Thanks in advance for helping me and my family. God bless you all.

Francesco