The Pasubio Piccole Dolomiti mountain union has started the project “Green communities Piccole Dolomiti – Houses for 1 euro”, which makes 22 uninhabited properties available in the Recoaro Terme area. The initiative is part of a broader framework of policies for the revitalization of mountain villages, increasingly at the center of the national debate on the management of abandoned building heritage and on combating the depopulation of internal areas.
The buildings involved are mainly distributed in the districts of the Vicenza municipality, with two exceptions located in a more central position, between via Bella Venezia and via Capitello. These are homes that have lost their residential function over time, contributing to the progressive degradation of neighborhoods and hamlets that deserve to be recovered and enhanced.
Why houses for 1 euro?
The mechanism is the well-tested one of one-euro houses: the properties are sold at a symbolic price with the obligation on the part of the buyers to renovate them within specific times and make them habitable again. It is therefore not a simple gift, but a pact between the local authority and the private sector, based on sharing a common objective: giving life back to spaces that are currently silent. Mayor Armando Cunegato defined the initiative as a concrete step towards the regeneration of parts of the town that are currently abandoned or underused, with the hope of encouraging new settlements, presences and economic activities.
How do the rankings work?
The scoring system for the assignment was designed to guide choices towards profiles considered more strategic for the community. At the top of the ranking are the young people under 35 who intend to establish their first home in Recoaro, with ten points. Followed by those who want to move their residence there, those who propose a tourist use of the property, those who intend to start craft or commercial activities, and those who undertake to employ local labor in the renovation works. This last criterion, in particular, reflects the desire to have the benefits of the initiative also impact the local economy, involving businesses and professionals in the area.
The stages to be respected are marked out with precision. The expression of interest must be submitted by April 16th by completing the appropriate form. In case of assignment, the sales contract must be signed within two months, under penalty of forfeiture. Subsequently, the renovation project must be deposited with the Municipality within six months of signing, the works started within twelve months of issuing the building permit and completed within three years of signing the contract. A roadmap that leaves reasonable margins but still requires serious and concrete planning.
Each candidate has the possibility of submitting an application for multiple properties, but may only be awarded one. A rule that guarantees a more equal distribution of opportunities and allows a greater number of people to participate in the relaunch of the country.
