The Archdiocese of Florence has launched a housing project for young adults who identify as LGBT that is funded through Italy’s tax allocation to the Catholic Church.
On June 19, the Archdiocese of Florence’s Caritas group announced the launch of “Progetto Andrea,” an initiative developed in partnership with LGBT advocacy group “Arcigay” Florence that includes “Casa Andrea,” a residential facility for LGBT-identifying young adults. According to the announcement, the project is financed through Italy’s “8 per 1,000,” namely the national tax allocation to the Catholic Church, and will provide housing as well as personalized support services for people between the ages of 18 and 35.
“Our aim is to offer dialogue, listening and concrete support so that LGBT young people can build their own life path peacefully, avoiding isolation and discrimination,” Father Andrea Bigalli said in describing the initiative, according to the project’s presentation.
“We are very proud to have opened ‘Casa Andrea’ and the services connected with it,” Marzio Mori, director of Florence’s Caritas, said.
The housing program is intended to provide temporary accommodation ranging from a few days to a maximum of 18 months. Caritas states that every resident will receive individual support from a qualified operator through a personalized program designed to “promote independence and rebuild social relationships.”
The project also includes a psychological counselling service for LGBT young adults and their parents. According to the organizers, trained professionals will provide appointments for individuals, including those undergoing so-called “gender affirmation processes.”
“The Diocese of Florence is among the first in Italy to promote a place of this kind, where young people can pursue their own life project away from discrimination that is still too widespread, accompanied by a community called to live fraternity,” Mori continued.
Italian journalist Nico Spuntoni, writing for Il Giornale, highlighted that the initiative is financed through the Catholic Church’s share of the “8 per 1,000” tax system and linked the project to a broader debate surrounding the direction taken by Italian bishops on these issues.
The “8 per 1,000” is a distinctive feature of Italy’s tax system that allows taxpayers to allocate a small portion of their income tax – specifically 0.8 percent – to a recognized religious denomination or to the state. When Italians file their annual tax return, they can choose which institution receives this share. If they make no choice, their contribution is distributed proportionally according to the preferences expressed by other taxpayers that year. This mechanism was established in 1984 through agreements between the Italian government and the Catholic Church.
In practice, since most taxpayers allocate their contribution to the Catholic Church, even those who do not explicitly choose another option end up, in effect, funding the Italian Bishops’ Conference.
Recently, Italian dioceses have undergone an LGBT-oriented shift. June, traditionally dedicated to devotion and adoration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, has instead become a month in which many Italian bishops participated in LGBT “Pride”‑related events.
This transformation has been enabled by ecclesial documents, beginning with 2023 Fiducia supplicans and continuing with the 2025 Italian synodal document, “Lievito di pace e di speranza (“Leaven of Peace and Hope”), which adopts the language of LGBT activism and encourages clergy to support civil initiatives against “homophobia and transphobia.”
Numerous dioceses hosted vigils and events aligned with LGBT causes, some inside churches, often in collaboration with activist groups. In Padua, demonstrators displayed blasphemous signs during a “Pride” march, while Archbishop Claudio Cipolla responded with embarrassment but without condemnation. In Milan, Archbishop Mario Delpini celebrated a Mass organized by an LGBT group on June 12, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, during which an activist received Communion while wearing a blasphemous shirt.