Think our brain drain is bad? The city of Gangi in Sicily, Italy has suffered a massive drop in population since the 1950s, with only 7,000 people remaining.
But the local city government has a plan to lure people back; give houses away for free. And the response has been so good that there is already a waiting list.
There is a catch; however. These houses have been abandoned for many years, and the occupant must – by law – carry out renovations to restore the site to livable condition within 3 years. This will provide more opportunities for local tradesmen and builders. However, the renovation costs could be extremely high.
Priority is also being given to entrepreneurs who will use the premises for business.
There are lots of quality renovators in Malaysia, and finding abandoned houses is not impossible? Could this be a new strategy for Malaysia’s brain drain?
Source: The New York Times
