The region Calabria launched the public phase of its Ripopola Calabria programme on 5 November 2026, aimed at reversing the population decline in the region's small villages. According to Sky TG24 , the regional government under President Roberto Occhiuto is making 50 vacant properties available across 26 municipalities in all five provinces at the outset, which newcomers from outside the region may occupy free of charge for ten years. All renovation work on the properties is funded entirely by the region; the total budget, according to greenMe , stands at 20 million euros from the Piano Sviluppo e Coesione.
What newcomers receive
Residents pay nothing for the properties. The region covers all renovation work in full and makes the property available for ten years under a loan-for-use agreement (comodato d'uso) for exclusive occupancy. Ownership of the properties remains with the respective municipalities. According to lacnews24 , the properties are designated exclusively for permanent residential use. Subletting and use for tourist purposes are expressly prohibited. Any breach would bring the usage agreement to an end.
Which municipalities may participate
The pilot phase is open to municipalitiesthat simultaneously meet two conditions: fewer than 5,000 residents and a demonstrable population decline. Municipalities apply via the portal ripopola.regione.calabria.it, register their vacant public properties and submit cadastral extracts, floor plans and photographs. Each registered residential unit must comply with planning regulations and be recorded in the cadastre as residential space. New construction on undeveloped land is excluded from the programme, as are privately owned properties. The region provides municipalities with technical support during the application process and, in a second stage, assesses the availability and suitability of the registered properties.
Residency requirement and applicant criteria
Newcomers must transfer their primary residence permanently to the assigned municipality for at least ten years. An additional precondition applies: according to greenMe, applicants must have been resident outside Calabria for at least three years. Registration is carried out via the portal using SPID or an electronic identity card (CIE); for each property, the relevant municipality publishes a ranked public list. Under the Giunta regulation, priority is given to returnees from abroad and their descendants, young couples, families with children, single parents, remote workers, freelancers, tradespeople, those working in the cultural sector, and people with disabilities. Falling into one of these categories moves an applicant up the waiting list. Municipalities may also set up a Welcome Desk to assist with dealings with the authorities, school registration or obtaining a tax code. For retirees with foreign income, the flat-rate seven per cent scheme on pension income remains available in parallel, which has applied since 2019 to those relocating to southern Italian municipalities with fewer than 20,000 residents.
Renovation funding of up to 280,000 euros
The programme is backed financially by a renovation grant of up to 2,000 euros per square metre of gross floor area, with a maximum of 280,000 euros per residential unit. The funds go not to the residents but to the municipality, which uses them to have the property restored. According to the portal, eligible costs include planning, renovation, seismic retrofitting, energy improvements, and technical and communications costs. The designation of new building land or new construction is not eligible for funding; the approach is consistently focused on existing building stock. The funds come from the ordinary section of the Piano Sviluppo e Coesione 2021-2027, with a total volume of 20 million euros.
A three-step process
The programme unfolds in three phases. First, municipalities register their properties via the portal using forms A to D: accreditation, demographic evidence, proof of existing stock, and delegation by the mayor. Second, the region assesses the submissions for eligibility and suitability. Third, a regional plan for the Rigenerazione dei piccoli borghi is drawn up, on the basis of which an online overview of available properties is made accessible to prospective newcomers. The application phase for newcomers has not yet begun, and the region has not yet announced a specific date.
In context: more than a 1-euro house
Ripopola Calabria differs fundamentally from the well-known 1-euro house model as practised, for example, by Mussomeli in Sicily for a number of years. Under 1-euro schemes, applicants purchase a property in need of renovation at a symbolic price and are responsible for the renovation themselves, though they commit to a set investment within a given timeframe. Under the Calabrian model, the region takes on the renovation in its entirety; the newcomer pays nothing, but does not acquire ownership of the property, only the right to use it for ten years. What happens thereafter, whether the agreement is extended, the property returned, or the arrangement converted into something else, depends on the regional framework plan, which has not yet been finalised.
What interested parties should do now
The property catalogue on the portal is already available to view, with filters by province, municipality and keyword. To submit a formal application, registration is carried out via the Accedi function on the portal, using SPID or an electronic identity card (CIE). The figure of 50 properties is a starting number for the pilot phase and not a cap; further properties from participating municipalities are expected to be added in the coming months. Those wishing to prepare in advance can obtain their tax code (Codice Fiscale), apply for SPID or an electronic identity card, compile evidence of three years' residence outside Calabria, and check which priority category they fall into. For those in employment that is not tied to a particular location, it is also worth exploring the existing relocation programmes offered by southern Italian regions, which have been competing for new residents for a number of years.
