In the Italian village of Luserna, in the province of Trento, the local authorities have just launched "Coliving collaborare condividere abitare" (Coliving: collaborate, share, live). This new initiative is one of many recent projects aiming to repopulate rural Italy, such as 1 euro houses for sale and free holidays, and this Italian mountain village also wants to keep its community alive. idealista/news has been talking about the project with the mayor Luca Nicolussi Paolaz.
This new project was launched on 5th June and applications are open until 3rd August 2020. The mayor explains that "the project aims to reverse the depopulation trends that are common in the Altipiani Cimbri district, by proposing integrated actions related to the issues of living and development of unused public real estate, and offering young families the ideal conditions to become independent and contribute to the development and life of a mountain area. The project provides for the provision of four apartments which only need furnished through a free loan contract for a period of four years. These apartments are owned by the ITEA (Trentino Institute of Housing) and are all located in the Altipiani Cimbri territory in the Municipality of Luserna".
Regarding those who are eligible to apply for the scheme, the mayor states that "families, with or without children, who express the desire to build an autonomous life path within the community and who wish to take on an active role in encouraging the emergence of new social networks in the area that contribute to the construction of pacts of trust between the new generations and the inhabitants of the territories are welcome to apply".
Why was this project launched?
"Luserna is a high mountain area, we are located at a height of 1,333 metres, and like many similar areas, we're suffering from depopulation. The goal of all municipal administrations has long been to strengthen residency and in Luserna we have social housing, but precisely because our town is a little more remote than the large centres, it has remained empty. So, as an administration, we decided to launch this project in the Autonomous Province of Trento to see if such housing could be dissociated from the logic of social housing and made available within the framework of a project like this one".
What are the main characteristics of this scheme?
"Our project, Coliving collaborare condividere abitare, has made apartments available with free loans for four years for four families, not with the aim of being a social project, but with the aim of being a housing project for repopulation. These families must therefore have a life project in Luserna. They will have to try to integrate themselves into the community. It is not a social project, which is why a minimum income and a relative economic autonomy, is also required from applicants.
The project provides for four years of free rent, and after this period, it is hoped that those who have been able to take advantage of the scheme subsequently decide to buy or build a house in Luserna. Otherwise, precisely because we ask those interested to make a lifestyle choice, ITEA will at least make a moderate income even after the four years of the project. It is therefore a home forever. It should also be added that the initiative has currently made available four properties available, but this could potentially rise to seven".
What is the goal you want to achieve with this initiative?
"The goal is to strengthen the community and with it primarily the services, such as the 0-6 year language education service, activated in 2011. In Luserna the Cimbrian language is spoken, an ancient medieval German, but it is still spoken by 95% of the population here. This language is also taught at school, which plays a fundamental role, since today it is no longer the family that guarantees the intergenerational transmission of this language, but the school institution. The model has lived up to expectations, but it is clear that children cannot miss out and it is therefore essential to combat depopulation in the area.
If the community is able to move forward, it is because it is still there and therefore it is right that the services - the local school, post office, ATM, minimarket - remain. The aim is to avoid depopulation so that the community can survive. We need households. The criteria for applications states that applicants must not be over 40 years old and in the case of a higher age bracket, the applicant must have a child under 12".
The deadline for submitting applications is scheduled for 3rd August 2020. The mayor has also commented on the level of interest: "There are many families calling at the moment to ask for information. The province and ITEA are also very much believing in this project, which aims to fill the empty apartments. With this initiative they also want to keep this building heritage from decaying. We talk about housing, but these are first class apartments, in which a family lives well. I think the proposal is a good one and we hope that this opportunity will be seized".
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