Therese Sta. MariaYou read that headline right. Several Italian villages are now looking for millennials who want to move in, and these villages will even pay millennials up to €28,000!
According to the Independent, there are many Italian villages now suffering depopulation. Hence in the region of Calabria, towns with a population of 2,000 or less, are opening their doors to people aged 40 and below who want to take up residency in these remote villages.
The catch? Commit to starting a business or take on a specific job in the village. The millennial would also have to move in within 90 days of being accepted. And that’s about all the big conditions that these Italian villages are asking for.
Regional Councillor Gianluca Gallo told CNN that the ultimate goal was to attract young residents with the skills and vision to enrich the local life of dwindling villages. The project is called “Active Residency Income,” which is set to open for applications in the next couple of weeks. Keep up to date on the opening of applications through the Calabria website here.
In Gallo’s words, “The goal is to boost the local economy and breathe new life into small-scale communities. We want to make demand for jobs meet supply, that’s why we’ve asked villages to tell us what type of professionals they’re missing to attract specific workers.”
How Italian villages will pay the millennials
Image credit: Nemanja Peric
According to the Independent, a whopping €700,000 has already been set aside to fund this project. The millennials can get paid up to €28,000 each. However, this will either come in monthly instalments over the course of three years or be given in its entirety to fund a business such as a restaurant and a shop.
Gallo also shared that they are considering expanding the project for Italian villages with a population of 3,000 people. “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,” he told CNN.
The participating Italian villages of Calabria are namely Civita, Samo and Precacore, Aieta, Bova, Caccuri, Albidona, Sant’Agata del Bianco, Santa Severina, and San Donato di Ninea. Calabria is located just south of Rome.
Also read: This Magnificent Biking Trail Lets You Circle the Largest Lake in Italy
Calling all millennials!
Image credit: MargaD
So, if you’re in your mid-20s until 40 and you want to try living in a new environment in the next three years, this might be your calling. These Italian villages are ready for some youngsters to take over and help promote the region as an area for “south work.”
“We want this to be an experiment of social inclusion. Draw people to live in the region, enjoy the settings, spruce up unused town locations such as conference halls and convents with high-speed Internet,” said Gianpietro Coppola, the mayor of Altomonte.
Also read: Know More About Curon, the Lost Village That Reappeared in Italy
Sounds appealing enough, no?
Featured image credit: Nemanja Peric | Unsplash
