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In the face of declining or slowing population
growth, some cities have decided to get aggressive about their survival.
Some cities are giving away free land, while others are literally
handing out stacks of cash to folks who agree to move. If you’re in the
mood for a new town, why not have the town pay to have all of your
awesomeness? Here are the 6 cities that really, really want you to move…
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Detroit, Michigan
We all know the trouble Detroit has had in recent years and it seems
they’ve decided to do something about. For starters, the town is giving
away 100 beaten-down homes that are in need of some TLC. They’ll even
give you $150,000 to help with the renovations. Some of the houses are
pretty cool looking, but they’ll no doubt need more than $150,000 in
repairs… Another program in Detroit is offering college graduates a
$2,500 first year allowance and a $1000 second year allowance towards
the cost of renting an apartment/condo in the city. They’re also
offering up to $20,000 in forgivable loans for new homebuyers who
purchase a property in the city. In order to participate, you’ve got to
work for one of the companies that have partnered with the city to offer
this program. Some of those companies include Compuware, Quicken Loans,
and Strategic Staffing Solutions. |
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Lincoln, Kansas
Anyone who’s ever driven cross country via I-70 knows that Kansas is in
no shortage of open space. Kansas has had a declining population since
the early 1900′s, so towns like Lincoln and Osbourne have taken to
giving out free plots of land in order to entice new residents.
Depending on the city, there are different qualifications that you need
to meet. You usually need to agree to build a single-family home on the
land and live there for a set amount of time (5 years or so). |
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Anywhere, Alaska
This is probably the most famous example of a city/state giving away
cash. Since 1976, Alaska has paid its residents to live there via its
Permanent Fund Reserve. The payouts are funded by Alaska’s oil royalties
and are divided up evenly among citizens. Over the years the payouts
have varied from the smallest ($331.29 per person in 1984) to the
largest ($3,269.00 per person in 2008 when a one-time $1,200 Alaska
Resource Rebate was added to the dividend amount), but the average is
usually around $1,250.In order to be eligible for the rebate, you must
not claim residency in any other state or country. |
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Saskatchewan, Canada
In an effort to attract more college graduates, Saskatchewan is offering
both Canadians and immigrants $20,000 CAD to live and work in the city
for 7 years. You’ve got to be a recent graduate though (after 2006). The
“Graduate Retention Program” use to be just a tuition-reimbursement
program for natives, but was expanded in 2008 to help entice graduates
from all over the world. The $20,000 bonus is paid in chunks each year
when you file your taxes. |
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Camden, Maine
If you’re a business owner in need of land, Camden will give you a prime
2.8 acres if you agree to create 24 new jobs in the city. The town
recently spent $1 million dollars to restore the site and the land is
currently valued at $175,000. You have to put up the initial cash for
the deal, but the town will refund you your money once you meet all of
the requirements.
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Curtis, Nebraska
How’d you like a prime piece of golf course real estate for free? That’s
the message currently coming out of Curtis, Nebraska.The towns
all-grass, nine-hole Arrowhead Meadows Golf Course (apparently one of
the best in the state) has 8 plots of land left and if you agree to
build a house, they’ll give it you for free. All of the lots utility
ready and located on paved streets.
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