An Italian town is selling abandoned houses for 1 dollar, but the owners are refusing.

Thus, the leader is attempting to replicate the success of the single-currency programhousesinspired by Mussomeli's success stories in Sicily. However, the inhabitants of Patrica, a town of about 3,000 people in the centralItalythey're not ready to sell their abandoned houses.

According to CNN Travel, Lucho Fiordalizo, the mayor of Patrica, has found it difficult to transform the city by offering houses for one euro. Earlier this year, Deputy Mayor Mussomeli told Business Insider that the program has revitalized his town, and nearly 300 homes have been sold.

“We initially made a list of all the abandoned houses and appealed to the rights holders to hand over their dilapidated family properties, but we were only able to sell two houses for one euro,” Fiordaliso told CNN.

He said the city needs the owners to offer their old homes because the properties cannot be sold without their consent. That makes the process “almost impossible,” he noted.

Still, the mayor is exploring other ways to revitalize the city. According to CNN, there are now tax breaks for those who open a business in the city's historic district. This has already led to the opening of two bed and breakfast hotels and a new restaurant.