The future Valencian law of measures against depopulation foresees a whole series of transversal proposals to combat this particularly intense demographic phenomenon in inland and mountain regions of the Valencian Community.
As explained by the regional secretary for Territorial Cohesion and Policies against Depopulation, Elena Cebrián, the regulations - which have just completed their public exposure phase - seek to implement measures to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of these areas and reactivate their socioeconomic fabric.
Among the specific measures that are collected in the 47 pages that this draft occupies, some novel ones stand out, such as trying to settle officials in these territories. Cebrián explains to La Vanguardia that it has been detected that there are difficulties in filling and providing stability to the positions of health or educational professionals so necessary to serve these municipalities at risk of depopulation.
For this reason, article 12 of the preliminary draft provides for “incentives that promote the residence of public employees” in this type of locality, as well as the “creation of territorialized pockets or the facilitation of teleworking conditions among public personnel who actually reside in these municipalities. ”, yes, as long as it is compatible with the task to be carried out.
From the regional secretariat it is recognized that these incentives will have to be negotiated with the unions, but they point out that it could, for example, give more points to fill the positions in these difficult-to-cover sites or even facilitate access to housing for public personnel. taking into account that, in these municipalities, the municipalities usually have real estate that could be transferred.
To do this, the regulations provide for a whole block of ambitious proposals to facilitate access to housing with specific lines of help or the establishment of positive discrimination criteria for applicants who intend to establish their residence in these municipalities.
The rehabilitation of buildings, Cebrián points out, is another of the measures planned in this regard. Nor are tax incentives in housing ruled out, although in this draft of the norm -which the Valencian Government wants to turn into law before the end of the legislature- it does not appear detailed.
In addition to setting major objectives to improve the access of the residents of these towns to health, education and social services, the law also provides for other more concrete and specific measures.
The approach that demand or regular transport services include purchase-collection-distribution services of orders that allows arrival at specific points in each locality, avoiding displacement, stands out.
In the regional secretary of Territorial Cohesion they explain that they are working, precisely, to promote that "transport on demand" that, without fixed schedules, is coupled to the requests of users coinciding with issues such as doctor's office hours.
Likewise, the rule also provides that the residents of these areas without banking service can withdraw cash at pharmacies, post offices or local businesses.
However, admits Elena Cebrián, this type of demographic phenomenon is very complex to deal with and, despite the processing of the standard, it is not an issue that can be solved "from today to tomorrow".
