THE “VIENNA MODEL”
For a more equitable society
The key to achieve this goal lies in the provision of affordable housing that takes account of tenants’ needs.
The roughly 220,000 municipal flats and around 200,000 subsidised dwellings of Vienna make up the cornerstone of social housing in the city. Roughly 50 percent of Vienna’s population live in one of these two housing types. Social housing strives for a more equitable society that involves both the middle class and lower-income groups.
Uniform and transparent allocation criteria allow for a good social mix in social housing estates and make sure that the middle class, too, has access to this large and still growing pool of dwellings. At the same time, affordable rents boost purchasing power. The large share of social housing contributes towards more affordable prices for a major proportion of the entire housing market.
Moreover, the sustained efforts towards “gentle urban renewal”, too, play a role towards keeping housing in general affordable and also safeguard about 20,000 jobs in the construction industry. This reflects a long tradition in Vienna and is likewise strongly supported by the population – a historic achievement that must be preserved for future generations.
At the same time, Vienna advocates the improvement of environmental and climate protection. Social housing construction helps to cut around 371,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
