The government of a popular Mediterranean holiday island is offering a £12,700 (15,000 euros) grant to entice people to move to the dream destination. Politicians in Sardinia want to attract new residents to combat the dwindling population of its rural towns and villages.
However, the cash must be used to purchase or renovation of a property, but does not have to be repaid immediately, reports Travel Tomorrow. But there are other rules to follow before any potential homeowners can move to the Italian island.
The location of the house must be in a municipality with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants. The grant should also not exceed half of the purchase or renovation costs, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.
“Thanks to the contributions to their first houses, this is strengthened and becomes fertile ground for those who will move there or decide to build a family. There can be no growth without a real enhancement of the territories, of the interior and most disadvantaged areas, which must pass through new policies for their repopulation”, Sardinian President Christian Solinas stated in a press release.
Italy is dealing with a decreasing population as the number of inhabitants is expected to decline from 59.6 million people in 2020 to 47.6 million in 2070 – causing a 20 per cent decline to occur. Whereas in 2020, the average age of Italians was 45.7, it is expected to rise to 50.7 by 2050.
Last month, the Italian government decided to provide one-off allowances of €200 for seasonal and domestic workers, with the measure expected to attract more third country citizens to help ease the country's labour shortages.
A statement issued by the European Commission said: "The DL 50/2022 law allows migrant workers to apply for the bonus, as long as they were residing in Italy before July 1 2022, and all income requirements are met."
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