Loan Funding for Sustainable Housing Ownership

International debates on sustainability clearly stress the role of cities as generation ground of the most dramatic problem related to the rapid growth of population: the insufficient access to appropriate and 'sustainable' shelter. Solutions to this do not have to cope with technological barriers, but rather with economical constraints: sustainable building technologies and energy efficiency features still involve considerably high initial costs, thus requiring adequate support. A relevant role could be played by normative systems; in its complex, Italian legislation appears geared to control rather than stimulation, failing to assert sustainable living as people's right - rather than an obligation. Different tools are then necessary. Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) successfully integrate the building process in the USA and Canada. This research work presents a preliminary survey of loan practices for energy efficiency, their procedures and their actual fruition extent. Interrelations with local contexts is then considered, in connection with the various building actors' roles and demands. Then, an analysis of Italian context is carried out, taking into account the government's role, national real estate market characteristics and credit institutions' attitude towards environmental matters. Finally, an attempt is made to deduce the possible repercussions of such practices in the local context.