A dispute over the future of Spin Time, a seven-story building in Rome that has housed around 140 families from more than 20 countries since 2013, has resulted in hundreds of residents camping on the street in extreme heat. The residents were evacuated on July 29 following a small fire in an unoccupied lower-floor room that was quickly extinguished by occupants. Authorities declared the building unsafe and placed it under judicial seizure, allowing residents to retrieve belongings only when escorted by police.
The outdoor encampment has grown to include approximately 300 people, with temperatures in the area reaching over 40 degrees Celsius. Residents report severe hardship, including a two-year-old girl fainting from heat exhaustion and vulnerable individuals such as an elderly blind man in a wheelchair sitting in direct sunlight. The community has received support from volunteers and public figures, including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Giorgio Parisi, who sent a letter of solidarity to the residents.
Rome’s mayor announced that the city offered to purchase the building from its fund manager, InvestiRE SGR, with an interim arrangement allowing residents to return during the sale process. However, the fund rejected this proposal, citing safety standards violations accumulated over 13 years of occupation that legally prevent transfer of possession. The fund stated it remains open to selling the building, which it has long planned to develop into a luxury hotel.
The standoff has involved multiple parties, including the Vatican, which Pope Leo XIV met with representatives from the community. Rome’s right-wing government coalition pressured the mayor against the purchase, arguing that public funds should not reward illegal occupation while thousands remain on housing waiting lists. Residents say they will maintain the sit-in to pressure the government, and authorities have indicated alternative accommodation can be provided from Monday onward. A permanent eviction would mark the largest occupation to face such measures in Italy.
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