A small Swiss village called Albinen has been experiencing a dwindling population for the past few years and the locals’ last resort is to invite outsiders to stay in the beautiful village.
Source: instagram
Currently, the population has reduced to only 240 permanent villagers. Not too long ago, three families including eight children have left the village for good and this has forced the village school to be closed down. Aww…
To encourage the influx of outsiders and prevent Albinen from turning into a ghost town, locals have urged the council to take drastic action. So, here’s their game plan.
Any family or individual from elsewhere who decide to buy or build a house in Albinen will be given 25,000 francs (approx. RM 104,800) per adult and 10,000 francs (approx. RM 42,000) per child.
That works out to 70,000 francs (approx. RM 293,600) for a family of four! This lump sum of money would come in handy too especially for paying the down payment for a house in Albinen.
Why would anyone want to move to this small village, you ask? Check out the pictures below and you’ll know why.
Source: instagram
Source: youtube
Source: instagram
Source: instagram
What you’ll get in Albinen is pure mountain air and a breathtaking scenery unlike any other, something that is hard to find in the Klang Valley.
But before you start packing your bags and booking your flight tickets to Switzerland, do take note that this plan has not been finalised yet as the residents of Albinen will be voting on this new policy on 30th November. So stay tuned guys!
Plus, there are some conditions that’re required in order for one to be eligible for this policy, such as:
- You must be aged under 45 and agree to live in the village for at least 10 years
- Otherwise, you’ll have to return the lump sum of money to the local government
- The house you’re about to buy in Albinen must have a minimum value of 200,000 francs (approx. RM839,000)
- The house you buy must be a permanent home and not a second residence
Source: homeaway
The community would contribute 100,000 francs (approx. RM420,000) per year into a fund to kick-start this policy, and they seem to be pretty optimistic about this ambitious plan.
In return, the lovely Albinen residents hope that the newcomers would inject life back into the village.
“It is an investment in the village’s future. In a best case scenario, even the village school will reopen,” the newsletter said.
Admittedly, there aren’t many job opportunities in the town, but the communal president reckoned that newcomers can find a job in neighbouring towns such as Visp and Sion, which are just a half an hour drive away.
Here’s the official newsletter from the Albinen community. Just a heads up, it’s written in Swiss.
Let’s say the policy is given the green light by the Albinen residents, would you actually take up the offer? Tell us what you think in the comment section!
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