TOUR OF THE HABITAT WORLD SEEN BY CIVIL SOCIETY

Austria

#Mots-clés : Dernière mise à jour le 7 June 2019

ELEMENTS OF CONTEXT

HISTORY

DEMOGRAPHY

SOCIO-ECONOMICAL CONTEXT

HABITAT

HISTORY OF CITIES – HERITAGE

URBAN HOUSING

RURAL HOUSING

RIGHT TO HOUSING

The right to housing is not constitutionally guaranteed in Austria. However, it is established by legislation. In the framework of the Austrian Social Aid Act, the provisions for homeless people are formulated in §20 as follows: support for homeless people and persons in extraordinary precarious situations comprises, inter alia, of the provision of housing for the development of a new living perspective. The provincial government contracts these services out to NGOs.

Austria ratified the Revised European Social Charter on 20/05/2011, accepting 76 of the Revised Charter’s 98 paragraphs, excluding the Article 31 on the right to housing. It has ratified the Amending Protocol to the Charter on 13/07/1995. Austria has signed, but not yet ratified, the Additional Protocol providing for a system of collective complaints.

(Source : FEANTSA 2012) (1)

FORCED EVICTION

LAND RIGHTS

LAND GRABBING

VULNERABLE GROUPS

  • Homelessness
  • Joungpeople
  • Old people
  • Women

SOME INTERESTING PRACTICES

Social and economic aspects

HOUSING MARKET

QUALITY OF HOUSING

INFORMAL HOUSING / SLUM / HOMELESS

ROLE OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES

PUBLIC HOUSING

Definition and situation in 2012

In Austria, there is no official definition of social housing but there are different forms of housing provision “beyond” the market. Municipal housing (or public housing) is rental housing provided by municipalities. Limited profit housing is rental and owner-occupied housing provided on a non- profit basis by investors, which are regulated by the Non-Profit- Housing-Act and have access to public subsidies (Limited Profit Housing Associations). The Federal Provinces provide funding through the housing promotion schemes, which define the type of housing and providers which can access funding as well as rent limits and income limits for (future) residents. The social housing stock currently represents about 23% of the total housing stock in the country.

How does it work ?

Out of the total social housing stock, 60 % is owned by municipalities and public companies. The main sector is currently the Limited-Profit sector, which includes cooperatives and companies (mainly limited companies). From 2009, the central state withdrew from financing. The former budget dedicated for housing promotion is integrated in the overall budget of the provinces, and it is up to the provinces to decide how much of it to spend on housing promotion. Following the economic and financial crisis the federal provinces have to face financial restrictions which will also affect housing. The number of housing units receiving public grants has decreased by 25% in 2010.

Rents are calculated on the basis of costs combined with rent limitation defined by the subsidy schemes. All providers must apply income limits defined by the different Promotion Schemes of the federal provinces. Limited-Profit Providers also have to apply additional social criteria de- termining priority in the allocation of dwellings.

Source : CECODHAS report 2012

Cultural aspects – Religious – Symbolic

Environmental aspects

Bibliography & Sitography

  1. FEANTSA Network

MAJOR PROBLEMS BY CIVIL SOCIETY

CLAIMS MAJOR CIVIL SOCIETY

CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS

  • BUNDESARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT WOHNUNGSLOSENHILFE (BAWO) = the objectives of the association are to make the price of housing compatible with the social needs of the community. They develop holistic programs to meet the diverse needs of the homeless. They believe that there is a ‘missing link’ between political and social housing policies. Information via the site FEANTSA – Website Informations by FEANTSA websiteSite Internet de BAWOemail