Onsernone Valley rolls out incentives to halt depopulation

The Onsernone Valley is offering new residents moving grants and other support, including up to 5,000 francs for couples seeking in-vitro fertilisation, as it tries to counter depopulation, SRF reports. The valley now has about 600 residents.

The fertility grants, known as the Assegno Vita, will begin in 2027. In Switzerland, unlike in many neighbouring countries, health insurers do not cover in-vitro fertilisation. Onsernone municipal councillor Nadir Cortesi said the measure was not a publicity stunt but a signal of solidarity with families facing treatment costs of about 10,000 francs, with no guarantee of success.

The municipality also plans to offer moving grants to people settling in the valley, fund language courses and reduce costs for public transport passes, firewood and pellets. It hopes to attract one or two families each year to help secure the future of the village school, which has 13 pupils.

Tobias Luthe, a professor of regenerative systems at ETH Zurich who has studied depopulation in the Alpine region for more than a decade, described the measures as broad but cautioned that fertility treatment support was only one part of a larger challenge. He said the focus should be on creating a valley where people of several generations can live well over the long term, rather than pursuing growth in numbers alone.

Housing is a central obstacle, Luthe said. About 77 percent of homes are second residences, leaving many buildings empty for much of the year while newcomers struggle to find suitable year-round accommodation. Some second homes are difficult to heat and therefore cannot be lived in throughout the year.

Luthe called for flexible ways to use housing and small pilot projects, as well as visible places for people to meet. One such venue is Casa Schira, a multipurpose building in Loco with a coworking space, communal rooms and courses shared by residents, holiday visitors and newcomers.