A small village located in northern Spain is offering free houses and a secure job for anyone willing to move there.
Tucked away in the region of Castile and León is Arenillas, a quaint community with only around 40 inhabitants.
In a bid to increase the local population and build a thriving village, local authorities have opened up the area to outsiders after battling with depopulation since the 1980s.
The ‘repopulation package’ offers people the chance to move to Arenillas, but they have to be willing to bring ‘practical or transferable skills,’ according to Holiday Pirates.
The project is particularly focused on bringing families with children into the area – to help boost urban redevelopment and support local schools.
Keen applicants have to send a CV to ayuntamiento@arenillas.es, introducing themselves and their family, and provide reasons why they want to move.
They should also include a CV outlining the skills they can bring to the village.
If successful, free accommodation will be provided through freshly renovated apartments, with no need to pay rent.
Tucked away in the region of Castile and León is Arenillas, a quaint community with only around 40 inhabitants
In a bid to increase the local population and build a thriving village, local authorities have opened up the area to outsiders after battling with depopulation since the 1980s
Bills such as gas and water do need to be covered by the tenants and the electricity is mostly supplied through roof solar panels, making that a cheap utility to sort too.
Families with children are provided free transport to and from school, which is located in Berlanga de Duero, around a 20 minute drive away.
There is a huge demand for workers in the construction industry as the community works on maintaining the village, as well as managing the local community centre.
However, initiatives like this are often more aimed at Spanish citizens or people with a right to work in Spain.
Those applying internationally should consider they may be required to get a visa or meet residency requirements.
There have already been 200 applications in the first few weeks since the scheme launched.
Other destinations around the world are trying similar repopulation techniques to try and boost dwindling communities.
Japan is paying people to move to its rural areas in a bid to keep them populated and thriving.
The ‘repopulation package’ offers people the chance to move to Arenillas, but they have to be willing to bring ‘practical or transferable skills’
It applies to those living in the Greater Tokyo area who are willing to relocate to certain municipalities.
Under the Regional Revitalization Migration Support Grant, people can receive up to ¥1,000,000 (£4,734) per individual, or ¥3,000,000 (£14,202) per household, according to Akiya Japan.
It aims to redistribute the population with nearly 40 per cent of citizens living in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
Another programme, called ‘Live in Ambroz’ attempts to invite people to live in Extremadura, a region in western Spain that borders Portugal.
Under the scheme, digital nomads can apply for grants of up to €15,000 (£13,000) to move there for at least two years, the Express reports.
Albinen, a town located in Switzerland, offers 25,000 Swiss francs (£23,600 or $31,000) per adult in a family of four, and 10,000 Swiss francs per child (£9,400) to relocate there.
The beautiful area sits on the mountain slope at 4,265 feet (1,300 metres) above sea level. Its traditional chalets look down over vast surroundings of snowy white peaks.
The small village has been threatened with extinction for some time as an increasing number of residents are moving out of the rural picturesque community in favour of surrounding cities.
At the end of 2020, there were just 243 residents in the village. But the scheme, originally launched in 2018, is hoping to buck that trend.
Those planning to move must buy a property worth at least 200,000 Swiss francs (£189,000) and live in the area for 10 years.
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