Clear survey result

What state politicians should be campaigning for

The cost of housing and living are the biggest concerns for Upper Austrians.

(Bild: Anna - stock.adobe.com)

Which political issues concern Upper Austrians the most? The provincial party, the SPD, has now conducted a representative survey to find out. The result, which may come as a surprise to politicians, is that it is primarily non-emotional issues such as migration, security and climate change.

The IFES Institute contacted 1000 people in a representative survey on behalf of the SPÖ provincial parliamentary club and asked which political issues are most important to them. First things first: topics that are often used for political polemics - such as asylum and migration or climate and the environment - are not at the top of the list.

According to the study, Upper Austrians are much more concerned with how they can afford to live their daily lives. Almost a third of those surveyed ranked "housing/living costs" in first place. By comparison, only half as many gave top priority to asylum and the climate.

Loan repayments, rent, electricity
In detail, loan repayments are the main burden for most of those affected (53%). Rent and housing costs are causing 46% of respondents to lose sleep, electricity and heating costs 45%. It is also interesting to note that even three out of ten Upper Austrians who have a "good income" consider their housing costs to be a burden. Among the socially disadvantaged, the figure is even more than twice as high at 66 percent. More than eight out of ten respondents are of the opinion that it is no longer possible to afford their own home on their earned income in Upper Austria.

The results of the study serve us a silver platter of the federal government's failed housing policy and the lax actions of the black-blue coalition government in recent years.

Landesrat und SPÖ-Chef Michael Lindner

How can things improve?
The SPÖ derives three demands from the study - which it addresses to Deputy Housing Minister Manfred Haimbuchner (FPÖ): Firstly, the housing budget, whose share of the state budget in 2023 was only 3.7% (2009: 6.2%), should be increased again accordingly. Secondly, the state should increase the basic loan for private homes from the current 75,000 to at least 150,000 euros. And, according to SPÖ party leader Sabine Engleitner-Neu: "As an immediate measure, the upper rent limit for housing benefit should be abolished."

FPÖ sees things quite differently
FPÖ party leader Herwig Mahr came to the defense of his party leader Haimbuchner on Wednesday: In no other federal state is there such a high funding throughput as in Upper Austria, he said. "This means that nowhere else is housing subsidy used more frequently for construction projects." In addition, Upper Austria provides more money for housing subsidies in absolute figures than any other federal state. "In terms of the average housing subsidy per household, we are in fourth place with 187 euros - directly behind the high-priced federal states of Tyrol, Salzburg and Vorarlberg," said Mahr.