PRE-REFURBISHMENT SAFETY INSPECTIONS
A unique standard process
High and thick shrubbery, poor lighting of footpaths and parking lots, smelly corners overflowing with trash, dirty walls covered with graffiti, dark basement nooks, obsolete lock systems, waste disposal rooms without motion detectors, house entrances that are totally invisible from outside traffic and circulation areas as well as many other aspects impact the subjective feeling of safety in housing environments and, hence, lessen housing quality.
Pre-refurbishment safety inspections were developed by Wiener Wohnen as the competent building management entity to improve tenants’ feeling of safety in Vienna’s municipal housing estates – a unique process that since 2018 is standard for all such estates.
Together with area-savvy local police officers and the competent staff members of Wiener Wohnen, specially trained officers of Vienna’s crime prevention unit inspect municipal housing estates that are up for comprehensive refurbishment and rehabilitation. They evaluate and document safety- and security-relevant traits of these estates on the basis of a standardised data entry form and identify potentials for improvement. To also give a voice to tenants with respect to safety and security, the client service staff of Wiener Wohnen requests on-site feedback from tenants’ advisory boards, janitors and caretakers as well as from the employees of Haus- & Außenbetreuung GmbH, Wiener Wohnen’s own building maintenance and cleaning service.
After every inspection, the police issue a statement by the crime prevention unit as well as recommendations for action in the respective housing estate. The project planners then review each proposed measure for its feasibility.
Experience has shown that the safety inspection process can be used for all public places where local residents are concerned about personal safety and security, especially places notorious for frequent vandalism or drug dealing.
It is evident that this project creates a win-win situation for all parties concerned:
- For Wiener Wohnen, as the project increases the staff’s attention and knowledge regarding crime prevention and safety. Trained professionals provide Wiener Wohnen with recommendations for improving the level of safety and security in municipal housing estates.
- For law enforcement, as police officers gain insights into the safety concerns and worries of the population.
- For local residents, as they will feel safer after the refurbishment.
For further information (in German)
https://www.wienerwohnen.at/Neues-aus-dem-Gemeindebau/NEWS2107/news_30_gemeinsam_sicher.html
