To stop the demographic hemorrhage in small towns, the Calabria Region has decided to put an unprecedented measure on the table. The initiative is called Ripopola Calabria and was officially announced on his social channels by the President of the Region Roberto Occhiuto, who made a direct appeal to anyone who wishes to change their life:
Come and live in Calabria for zero euros: this is the invitation we extend to anyone who wishes to move to our villages. Come and live in Calabria, because living in Calabria is beautiful and convenient!
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How the experimental project works
But how does the project work? Through the platform ripopola.regione.calabria.it it is possible to choose among the first 50 homes in the Calabrian villages made available to those who choose to move their residence here. The Region will take care of the renovation work on these houses: the recipients will pay nothing and will have the opportunity to live in them for free for 10 years.
The pilot plan responds to a structural emergency: between 2011 and 2024 the regional territory lost over 124,000 residents, with a demographic decline of 6.4% which hit hard especially the towns under 5,000 inhabitants which represent 80% of the Calabrian municipalities.
The resources on the table, the rules and functioning of the free loan
The measure is part of the ordinary section of the Development and Cohesion Plan (PSC) and has an overall budget of 20 million euros. For the recovery works of unused building stock, the Region covers up to 2,000 euros per square meter for each individual accommodation, setting a maximum spending ceiling of 280,000 euros for each housing unit.
The assignment takes place through a free loan for use lasting 10 years and imposes strict rules. Only citizens who have resided outside the Calabrian borders for at least 3 years can apply. Whoever wins the tender has the formal obligation to transfer and maintain their main residence in the assigned accommodation for all 10 years of the duration of the agreement.
The property must be used only as a residence and cannot be sublet or used for commercial spaces, offices or economic activities. The link is sanctioned by an innovative trilateral agreement signed by the Region, the interested Municipality and the beneficiary citizen.
The evaluation criteria and the map of the first 50 houses in the 26 municipalities
The selection procedure is not automatic but is based on a public ranking drawn up via the project’s native digital platform, accessible with SPID or CIE credentials. To distribute the scores, precise reward parameters have been established reserved for returning Calabrian emigrants and their descendants, families with children, young couples, single-parent families, remote workers, professionals, artisans and people with disabilities.
Currently the catalog includes the first 50 homes distributed in 26 municipalities touching all 5 Calabrian provinces. Individual local authorities will support new residents with support structures aimed at facilitating access to essential services such as schools, health facilities and transport links.
