Almería Province launches housing and service upgrades to curb rural depopulation

At the II Forum of Diputaciones, Cabildos and Consells, provincial president José Antonio García Alcaina stressed the importance of provincial bodies in reversing demographic decline in rural Almería. He called for equal access to public services, job creation and enhanced quality of life to keep residents in small towns.

Alcaláina outlined concrete measures the Almería Diputación has already introduced, including multiservice centres that combine a bar and shop, new ATM installations in underserved areas, birth subsidies for villages with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, and surveillance cameras to improve security. He also criticised the central government's handling of EU recovery funds, saying provinces are best placed to allocate resources.

The following day the president travelled to the Sierra de los Filabres, visiting Benizalón and Benitagla to review ongoing projects and set out further investments in housing, connectivity, rural health services and proximity commerce, aiming to make rural life more viable and attractive.