that boatload of kurdish refugees 18 years ago was also a eureka moment for mayor lucano. rather than seeing them as a threat or a disrupter, he saw them as the town's future-- an opportunity. young refugees in search of better lives needed homes, and riace had hundreds of empty ones to fill. >> ( translated ): even if you're here by yourself, you get your own house. because this is the strategy that we launched from the beginning. the whole town is a migrant center. >> reporter: not only would refugees get their own homes to live in, lucano started a program to transform other abandoned houses into all types of artistic workshops, giving refugees skills to help them independently earn a living. migrants and refugees have also found work in the mayor's office and other municipal jobs. of course, it takes money to make all this happen. the italian national government subsidizes riace and towns like it the equivalent of 30 dollars a day for every refugee for one year. riace uses the funds to renovate homes, help migrants start new businesses, and pay them a monthly stipend.