Spain has a huge problem with people leaving rural areas to live in cities. Over the past 50 years, the population of the Spanish countryside has dropped by nearly 30 percent. It’s such a big problem that there’s even a name for the depopulated areas – la España vacia, or ‘empty Spain’.
In an attempt to reverse rural depopulation, one municipality in southern Spain is taking drastic action. Letur in Albacete province is soon to start offering exceptionally cheap rent to entrepreneurs and remote workers in order to entice them to move to the town.
How cheap are we talking? Pretty darn cheap. The rates being offered vary from €340 to €350 (£287-£295, $347-357) per month for an entire house. Ten houses will be available and they’ll all have either two or three bedrooms.
The attraction of living in Letur isn’t just that you’ll get to live in a spectacular, chilled-out, historic hilltop village. You’ll also enjoy lower costs because the houses are all highly energy-efficient and day-to-day stuff is generally cheaper. Higher quality of life, here we come.
The houses are expected to be finished in the next few months and they’ll be available for both Spaniards and foreign nationals (provided, of course, they’ve got the right to live and work in Spain, or a Spanish work visa).
You can find out more info about the scheme here.
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