February 2016
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The welfare state systems, constantly in crisis for several years as under attack by neoliberal policies, have always been challenged by alternative forms of welfare provided by the struggles claiming for social rights by the social movements. This topic, however, has not been much discussed by scholars. Therefore, trying to fill the gap at least partially, in this chapter we focus on the squatting movements for housing and social centres, highlighting their capabilities to provide alternative forms of welfare aimed at trying to satisfy housing, countercultural and sociability needs, for those belonging to the less advantaged social classes. We argue that squatting movements are both direct ways to fight for and get social rights, and to put in practice the “right to the city”. Moreover, the social centres in particular can develop two different ways to experiment alternative forms of welfare, “self-organized and/or from below”, based on the legalized or informal ways to provide them.