Rent and ownership

New housing benefit: support for all Carinthians

In future, operating costs will also be taken into account in the allowance (symbolic image).

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

Until now, Carinthians for whom their own housing situation had become a financial burden had to submit up to five applications in order to receive support from the state. With the new housing benefit, a single application will be sufficient from January 1, 2025. 

Up to 100,000 Carinthians should benefit from the new support in future. "This makes us pioneers in the sustainable fight against poverty," explains Governor Peter Kaiser proudly. "This is the next step in making Carinthia the most family and child-friendly region in Europe." 

According to Kaiser, the new housing benefit will bring savings of between 3,000 and 4,000 euros per eligible household. "In addition, the free kindergarten means a saving of 3,600 per child," Kaiser promises. "With the housing benefit, we are counteracting the major challenge of inflation in our solidarity society and protecting the most vulnerable groups in particular, such as single earners, minimum pensioners and the long-term unemployed."

The big difference to the previous support is that operating and heating costs are now also taken into account. "This means we can help without perhaps raising private rents in response," said the provincial governor. The budget for the new housing benefit now amounts to 53.8 million euros - almost double the amount of the old system.

Around 40,000 households are eligible for the new system. That is a doubling. In this way, we are supporting the basic need for housing.

Landeshauptmann-Stellvertreterin Gaby Schaunig

Money from basic child benefits for housing assistance
However, the main person responsible for the project is Gaby Schaunig, who has been working on it since the last election. "I am delighted that we have been able to get the housing benefit off the ground and would like to expressly thank the responsible employees, without whom this would not have been possible," emphasizes Schaunig. "We currently have a situation where there are five applications that do almost the same thing. This is now being merged."

The IT departments are currently working on the implementation, which will start in January 2025. "The old system will continue to run until then, and the heating subsidy 24/25 will also be processed as before," says Schaunig. A large part of the new budget comes from a "failed" initiative. "I actually wanted to make Carinthia a model region for basic child protection, and made a budget of 25 million euros available," continued Schaunig. "Now we are supporting families on this path."

Support for property owners too
But not only Carinthians living in rented accommodation will benefit from the new regulation. "Homeowners can also get into financial difficulties, which is why it was particularly important to us that they are also covered by the new aid," emphasizes Provincial Vice-President Martin Gruber. "The affordability of property is difficult, people make many sacrifices for it. This should not be jeopardized by strokes of fate." As concrete examples, he cites young families where one earner dies, but also widows with minimum pensions.