Revitalizing Dying Regions: Countries Offering Money for Homes in Remote Areas

When the village youth are drawn to the big cities, the small towns gradually die out. A growing problem in Europe. Various countries therefore offer people money if they move to the affected regions.

This was also the case recently in Ireland: last week the government in Dublin decided to pay home buyers up to 84,000 euros. To get the money you have to move to one of the 23 outlying islands on Ireland’s west coast.

The aim is for the number of inhabitants there, which has fallen by 13 percent since 1996, to rise again. They are also hoping for a rejuvenation – the average age on the islands is currently 65 years.

Switzerland also took similar measures a good year ago: the Ticino municipality of Gambarogno was selling Rusticos for one franc at the time. There the reason was different. The cottages need to be renovated in proper style, and for that you have to dig deep into your pocket.

The Italian village of Sambuca, on the other hand, is struggling like the Irish islands with population decline. A few months ago, houses were also offered there for two euros.

And in Cinquefrondi in southern Italy, houses began to be sold for one euro in 2020. This was about beautifying and rejuvenating the town. In Italy, dozens of municipalities have so far adopted the idea in one way or another.

The Spanish municipality of Ponga has also started a rejuvenation campaign: couples are welcomed there with a welcome bonus of 3,000 euros when they move in. They also receive an additional 3,000 euros for each child born locally.

Not only in Europe, but also in East Asia, the villages are dying and the metropolises are growing. Japan is therefore offering families 7,000 francs per child if they move out of the capital Tokyo.

Most of the boys moved to the mainland from the Canadian island of Cape Breton Island. That’s why a bakery there was so desperate for staff that they offered 4,047 square meters of land in addition to the wages. This was reported by the Canadian broadcaster “CBC” in 2018.