Unofficial politics

Affordable housing: Own home instead of council housing

The federal government's housing package showed clear advantages for the east of the republic. LH Mattle was able to defuse this.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer, Gerhard Seybert derpressefotograf)

Provincial Governor Anton Mattle has identified advantages for the west in the federal government's housing package. Two key points were decisive for him. Nevertheless, he is critical of some points.

Austria's federal government presented its housing and construction offensive last week. The focus is on supporting the construction sector, creating property, affordable housing and improving the quality of existing housing. However, the western federal provinces came close to missing out, as the negotiations were strongly influenced by the interests of the east - until the Tyrolean governor Anton Mattle intervened (naturally also with the support of his counterparts from the west)!

If you want to boost the construction industry, you must not forget private developers.

Anton Mattle

Bild: Christof Birbaumer

ÖVP prevails
While municipal housing dominates in Vienna, many Tyroleans want their own four walls. Chancellor Karl Nehammer has set the goal of affordable property. He was strongly supported in this by Mattle against the Green coalition partner. The People's Party achieved this by creating 10,000 new owner-occupied housing units and abolishing additional fees for owner-occupied homes.

Furthermore, in the first draft, the additional housing subsidies of one billion euros were only intended for non-profit housing developers. However, the Tyrolean governor coordinated closely with the Chamber of Commerce, in particular guild master Anton Rieder, and virtually "waded in" the private housing developers.

The non-profit organizations alone would not be able to achieve the target of 20,000 new apartments throughout Austria.

Anton Mattle

Bild: Christof Birbaumer

Two decisive reasons
For Mattle, there were two main reasons for this: 
1. if you want to boost the construction industry, you can't forget about private developers.
2. the target of 20,000 new apartments throughout Austria would not be achieved by the non-profit organizations alone.

In addition, Tyrol is one of the few federal states that still owns 100 percent of the housing subsidy and can therefore also grant all the housing subsidy loans requested. Anton Mattle also knew how to prevent the additional funds from getting stuck in the east to compensate for the lack of funds there. Tyrol will receive around 84 million euros from the package and will also invest this in new and renovated housing.

The Tyrolean provincial leader continues to be critical of the fact that nothing has been done in terms of lending. He continues to call for an end to the FMA directive, as he has already made clear several times to the "Krone" newspaper.