Trentino, a picturesque region in northern Italy officially known as the Autonomous Province of Trento, is taking bold steps to address its depopulation challenges. Nestled where the Dolomites meet the Alps, Trentino is grappling with economic and social decline in many of its villages and hamlets. The Italian government has responded strongly, providing the countermeasure of €30 million ($32.5 million) in the 2024 national budget. This funding will be crucial for helping municipalities with less than 5K residents.
Beyond this, the European Union’s initiative has ambitious goals of reviving local communities and encouraging territorial cohesion. The project has been particularly effective at reaching financially excluded local residents of Italian descent living outside the country. This effort is helping to spur the rehabilitation of vacant houses. Renovations The government has provided a non-repayable grant of €80,000 (approximately $87,000) for renovations. On top of that they’ve budgeted €20,000 (roughly $22,000) for the purchase of properties. This grant is meant to fund just 35-40% of the total cost.
Maurizio Fugatti, president of Trento, underscored the main goal of this ambitious undertaking.
"The goal is to revitalize local communities and promote territorial cohesion," said Maurizio Fugatti, president of Trento.
The effort is narrowly focused on municipalities that have suffered a recent extreme population loss, with the rationale provided by Nicola Teofilo.
"The initiative is intended for those municipalities that, according to a statistical analysis, have suffered a significant loss of population in the last decade," noted Nicola Teofilo.
Right now, state officials are in the process of choosing 33 cities and towns, large and small, where these revitalization efforts will be focused. These towns are balancing on the edge of life and death, with more empty and abandoned homes than homes still occupied. The region plans to have this list set in stone by April.
In order to ensure the spectrum is not monopolized or unevenly distributed, limitations are placed on the spectrum. In return, the renovation costs are limited to €200,000 (approximately $217,000). To prevent any one buyer from hoovering up an entire village, each person is limited to three properties.
Through implementing these measures, Trentino hopes to draw new residents and revitalize its dying towns. By restoring abandoned homes and welcoming new inhabitants, the region hopes to create vibrant, sustainable communities that can thrive once more.
