One year ago, Martijn Boltendal and his family of four packed up all their things and moved from the Netherlands to the small Nordic municipality of Beiarn. A post appeared on Facebook that caught their eye. Beiarn municipality offered new arrivals a year of free housing as an attempt to counteract the population flight they are experiencing. The post made the threshold for following the dream of moving lower, says Boltendal. The Dutch family has become well established in Beiarn, and often uses nature. Photo: Private – I think the opportunity to have the rent covered for one year gives people some breathing room. You get the opportunity to see if you enjoy it, and it’s a little easier to test, he says. They have now lived in the municipality for over a year. They have bought a small farm and have big plans to stay. The mayor of Beiarn, André Kristoffersen, calls it a success. At the heart of a valley in Salten in Nordland you will find Beiarn municipality. Photo: Benjamin Fredriksen Five out of six families stayed During the course of the project, six families moved to Beiarn, and the mayor says that all but one family have chosen to stay. – For us, the project worked very well, says Kristoffersen. The mayor of Beiarn municipality, André Kristoffersen, can tell of great success when they carried out a similar project. – As a rule, families move because of work, but with this project you buy yourself a little more opportunity, says the mayor. Several of those who moved to Beiarn through this project found work only after they moved. Boltendal works as an environmental worker in the municipality and his wife Chantal has got a job in a nursery school. Now the municipal council in Rødøy municipality has also agreed to have a similar project. Rødøy takes action – As in many other district municipalities, the population is also decreasing in Rødøy, says mayor of Rødøy municipality, Inger Monsen. – We cannot sit and watch the population decline without doing anything, she adds. Since 2000, the municipality has lost 431 inhabitants. During 2022, they lost 14 inhabitants. Therefore, they have come up with a number of measures that they hope will increase the population: One year of free housing Half-price nursery school Stimulation grant for construction and purchase of housing Municipal interest-free start-up loan for first-time founders Leader of the minority group in the municipal council in Rødøy, Jimmy E. Krogh and mayor Inger Monsen Photo: Private – The good life in Rødøy Monsen says they are trying to sell the good life in Rødøy. – A slightly different life from the urban one. We must hope that someone sees the opportunity to live the good life in Rødøy, as we do, says Monsen. Several people have already expressed their interest, she adds. Five municipal buildings have initially been set aside for the purpose. – It will cost a lot, I am fully aware of that. The municipal board has allocated some funds in the budget. – We have to spend money to get more residents in the municipality, and we think it is money well spent, she adds. View from Rødøyløva. Photo: Elise Angermo Fossland / news – It is important that the migrants can live out their whole lives Moving is a big decision for most people. It is about the whole of life, and there are probably few people who move because of such measures, believes senior researcher at the Urban and Regional Research Institute at Oslo Met, Heidi Bergsli, and adds: – But it can help people who are considering taking a job, or move to or return to a place, to make this choice. – The municipalities just have to continue trying out different measures, with the risk that they will have no or long-lasting effect, says Heidi Bergsli. Photo: Sonja Balci According to Bergsli, Norwegian municipalities have worked actively to attract new residents since the 1990s. Among other things, they have done this through profiling, repatriation campaigns, higher wages and relocation allowances. Many municipalities have also contributed with rental housing and provided housing subsidies, which is the concrete measure in Rødøy. However, it is difficult to measure the effect of individual measures because there are many reasons why people stay or move, which merge together, explains the researcher. Smaller municipalities and especially northern Norwegian district municipalities are those that use the most measures to attract residents, according to a survey carried out by the Ministry of Local Government and Districts, Bergsli explains. – For immigrants, it is important that they can live out their whole lives in the place, that work and housing are in place, but also that they have leisure time and a good social life. If the municipalities are also to get people to stay, it is therefore important that they are welcomed and feel a sense of belonging to the place, she adds. Nevertheless, Bergsli believes that it is wise to see many measures in context and contribute to strengthening the local communities you actually have, in addition to trying out new things. It is important to ensure a good reception – Regardless of what measures the municipalities take to get migrants to find a place, the most important thing is to ensure that people stay in the municipality. That’s what the communications manager at the District Centre, Dan-Erik Aggvin, says, and adds: – We think that’s where they have the most to gain in terms of impact, says the communications manager. Dan-Erik Aggvin, communications manager at the District Centre. The district center works to make it attractive to live and work in the districts. Photo: The district center He believes that measures that Rødøy and Beiarn are enticing with have the greatest effect on those who are already on the move. Therefore, it is better to use resources to make people thrive and stay, than to constantly try to get hold of new residents.
ttn-69
Rødøy municipality entices with free housing and half-price nursery school – news Nordland
