There were fewer than 5,000 people living in more than 75% of Calabrian municipalities, or about 320 villages, in 2021.An innovative scheme in Calabria, Italy, aims to counteract the trend of population decline by offering €28,000 (about Rs 25 lakh) to people who are willing to relocate to tiny communities.
Newcomers must, however, also open a small business, which may be a brand-new endeavor or the acceptance of an offer for a particular profession that the community is seeking.
In addition, candidates must be no older than 40 years old and prepared to relocate to Calabria within ninety days of their application being accepted.
“We’re honing the technical details, the exact monthly amount and duration of the funds, and whether to include also slightly larger villages with up to 3,000 residents,” regional councillor Gianluca Gallo said in an interview with CNN.
“Villages have shown a great deal of interest thus far, and if this pilot program is successful, we anticipate receiving more in the upcoming years,” he continued.
This initiative, called “active residency income,” aims to increase Calabria’s appeal for “south-work,” a reimagined form of distant employment designed specifically for southern Italy. This explanation was given by Gianpietro Coppola, the mayor of Altomonte and a major supporter of the proposal.
Gianpietro Coppola stated, “We want this to be an experiment of social inclusion,” as he described his idea.
Encourage people to move to the area, take in the scenery, and install high-speed internet in underutilized town spaces like convents and conference halls. Reviving Italy’s south is not the best idea when it comes to uncertain tourists and euro houses.
There were fewer than 5,000 people living in more than 75% of Calabrian communities, or about 320 villages, in 2021.
This situation has sparked worries that, in the absence of regeneration measures, some of these communities may face the possibility of total depopulation in a matter of years.
