These Italian Towns Will Pay You $33,000 To Live In Them

Those eager for a new adventure may be in luck, as a prime opportunity to live in beautiful Italian villages has arisen—and the lucky adventurers who decide to move will also make as much as $33,000 for doing so.

Of course, there is a slight catch.

The southern region of Calabria will provide a stipend of up to €28,000 ($33,000) over the course of three years to those who are relocating to the area’s quiet villages with small populations of 2,000 people or less, with the intention of reversing population decline, CNN reports. However, in order to be eligible, those who wish to partake must be willing to not just take up residency, but also run a small business while living there.

The move is known as “Active residency income,” a project which is meant to help rebrand the area and revitalize the small communities. Those who are no older than 40 that submit a successful application will have to relocate within 90 days and could receive funding from €800-€1,000 a month for two to three years, or one-time funding to help launch a new business or activity-including a Bed and Breakfast, a restaurant, a bar, a rural farm or a store.

“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 councilor Gianluca Gallo told CNN. “We've had so far a huge interest from villages and hopefully, if this first scheme works, more are likely to follow in coming years.”

The plan takes its queue from similar initiatives in other regions to attract residents, including one which saw an attempt to lure home buyers to the town of Biccari, with prices as low as $1.00, and the intention of fixing up homes over the time period on the town.

The ploys to get residents into these towns comes amid fears that the communities will die out entirely in just a few years, as 75% of Calabria’s 320 towns consist of fewer than 5,000 residents.

The towns currently involved in the promotion to get people moving there are Aieta, Albidonia, Bova, Caccuri, Civita, Samo and Precacore, Sant’Agata del Bianco, San Donato di Ninea and Santa Severina.