Published 15:51 IST, November 4th 2019
Italy: This town is giving away houses for free to lure new citizens
The picturesque town of Italy, Cammarata is offering free houses to attract new residents and are selling homes for USD 1 to restore their dying communities.
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The picturesque town of Italy, Cammarata is offering free houses to attract new residents. The trend follows several other towns in Italy who are selling homes for just USD 1 in order to restore their dying communities. Apart from the town Cammarata, towns of Zungoli and Sambuca also recently launched a similar scheme. Cammarata is a mountainside town rich in history which has scenic views of Mount Etna and splendid sunsets on the Mediterranean island of Sicily. Due to its plummeting population and empty buildings the mayor of the town, Vincenzo Giambrone has launched an ambitious plan to save the city and its rich culture.
Mayor convincing owners to hand over the keys
He is convincing the owners of the home who had already left the town to give the keys of the buildings to new residents who are willing to renovate it and fix them up. He said that the couples who have a baby after moving in will be provided with a cash bonus. Giambrone revealed that there are roughly a few buildings available and more will be made available shortly.
Therefore, there are a set of terms and conditions for the free home schemes offered by Cammarata. Buyers must submit a refurbishment proposal to renovate the property within three years from the day of purchase.
Buyers to deposit a sum of USD 4300
They need to deposit a sum of USD 4,300. The deposit will be returned by the owners once the renovation work is completed and the building is turned into a family home or a business such as a shop or a restaurant. According to the mayor, priority is being given to young couples with children and the couples who have a baby after they moved there will be given a bonus of 1,000 euros. Cammarata is situated at a height of about 1,000 meters and 60 km southeast of Palermo and was founded by the Byzantine Greeks. It was once a very bustling place but in recent years it has lost a large number of its citizens.
15:13 IST, November 4th 2019