It doesn’t seem like another stimulus check will be coming any time soon, but there are other ways you might be able to bank a few extra dollars, and one of them would see you getting $12,000 cash plus an $8,000 recreation package… but there is a catch – you’d have to move to one of three towns in West Virginia.
The program offering the incentives is called Ascend West Virginia and it hopes to bring remote workers to the Mountain State where they can enjoy everything West Virginia has to offer. West Virginia has lost more population than any other state, and the campaign hopes to turn that around. Newcomers will be given $10,000 to move to one of three pilot areas – Lewisburg, Shepherdstown and Morgantown – and they’ll get another $2,000 the second year of residency. Meanwhile, they are also treated to a recreation package valued at $8,000 that provides them with vouchers to experience an array of different activities across the state, from parks to ski resorts.
There seems to be interest too. In the first round of applications, 7,000 people jockeyed for one of 50 spots. The ones who were selected seem to be pretty happy in their new homes. A couple who moved from Washington, D.C. were blown away by the low cost of living. They told WUSA9, “We looked at a three-bedroom house with a full kitchen, a dining room in our living room, and that was only around $1,300. In D.C. that is easily $4,000.” They added, “My husband and I have dreams of starting businesses that we couldn’t have started in DC. We didn’t have the capital in DC. and didn’t have that kind of support. But here, it’s possible.”
If it sounds like something you’re up for, head here for more information.