Italy: This pretty Icity will give 150 bucks for your rent

Rome: Mantua has a long and rich history, and it wants to make you part of it by inviting you to settle in

In a line of Italian cities outdoing each other to tackle their demographic problems, such as depopulation and lack of young families, the Lombard town of Mantua aims to stand out. The local government has announced that it will offer a contribution of 150 euros towards the monthly rent of newly-settle residents, as a way to entice them to move there.

And it’s not like the city doesn’t have strong selling points and charms. Back in the Renaissance era, it was the thriving capital of a duchy, which was distinguished for its artistic and cultural milieu. Its historic town has been listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites since 2008, in recognition of its importance for the development of Renaissance Italian culture.

Moving on from the glorious past, however, and into today shows that there the situation is a bit dimmer as birthrates are falling drastically, meaning that in the future there will be no vivacity to the local economy, as it will become overburdened with people in retirement age.

“We need to increase the resident population for the next few years, increasing the number of people who work and produce income to allow the municipality to handle public welfare spending,” explained the city’s mayor Mattia Palazzi, quoted by Euronews.

That is why the town council has set aside some 400,000 euros to hand out in grants to 100 new residents willing to move to the city and make it their long-term place of abode.

The cash will be used to help such people pay their rent, and the city’s contribution will be 150 euros monthly. In order to be eligible for the financial assistance, those interested must sign a rental contract for at least a year.

The aid will be available both for individuals and families, and no income threshold has been announced, although Euronews says it would be for people with monthly salaries of around 1,200-1,500 euros.

Mantua has some 50,000 residents and according to the mayor, logistics companies are looking to set up shop on its territory, so there will be new jobs. However, the authorities are also trying to do their part by seeking to attract young people in order to have someone to fill said prospective jobs.