Italy launches 'Ripopola Calabria' — free housing for up to 10 years in Calabria

Italy has unveiled a regional initiative in Calabria that offers people the chance to live rent-free in renovated houses and apartments for up to ten years, aiming to repopulate small towns that have been shrinking for decades.

What the Ripopola Calabria scheme offers

The first phase of the programme, called "Ripopola Calabria" and promoted under the slogan "Calabria gives you a house", makes 50 properties available across 26 municipalities. Regional authorities will cover the full cost of renovating the buildings, and selected applicants will be granted free use of a house or flat for a period of ten years.

The properties will not become the occupants' ownership. They will be conceded for free use on the condition that new residents register and keep their residence in Calabria for the entire ten-year period. After the decade ends, authorities said further options such as extension of the stay or purchase could be examined, but exact terms still need to be defined.

For each renovation, authorities may allocate up to €280,000. Eligibility extends to citizens of other European Union countries and to third-country nationals who hold the appropriate residence permit in Italy. Applicants must be adults, must have lived outside Calabria for at least three years, and must commit to moving to the region for ten years.

Priority in the selection process will be given to young married couples, families with children, single parents, people who work remotely, the self-employed and returnees from abroad. The homes may only be used for living; subletting for tourism or running business activities from the properties is prohibited.

Local officials say the scheme seeks to combine heritage restoration with demographic recovery, offering a financial incentive to repopulate villages that have seen long-term decline.

Photo: press material from the event