No money from funds

Which secondary residents are looking through their fingers

Some homeowners must fear for the disaster aid.

(Bild: Antal Imre/Imre Antal)

After the flood, those affected could fall over for disaster relief. In special cases or areas, this is even fixed. At the end of the week, the framework conditions for this were determined in Lower Austria. The "Krone" asked around in the badly affected Klosterneuburg - and knows the guidelines.

For Lower Austrian main residents, the eligibility for aid from the disaster fund had been known for some time. However, this was not the case for secondary residents: it was only at the end of the week that Lower Austria's responsible bodies also laid the cornerstones for disaster aid for this severely affected group.

Regulations for secondary residents
Buildings that are only suitable for a short stay, such as garden and bathing huts, are not eligible for aid. "Properties on land with a dedication, such as allotment gardens or campsites, are also excluded," says the regional building authority.

In particular, secondary residents with houses on stilts and vacation homes, such as the hundreds in Klosterneuburg alone in Strandbad, Strombad, Schwarzer Au or on Pionierinsel (see picture above), etc., are very likely to be left out in the cold - as are most secondary residents in similar situations throughout the country.

The Pionierinsel in Klosterneuburg was covered in mud and dirt.

(Bild: Antal Imre/Imre Antal)

Hundreds of people affected in Klosterneuburg
More than 400 cases of damage have now been reported to the municipality of Klosterneuburg, explains Mayor Christoph Kaufmann. The damage commissions have been working in the municipality since Monday, September 23. The municipal damage hotline had already started recording reported cases a week earlier. According to the head of the municipality, lessons have been learned from the 2013 disaster.

In any case, Kaufmann clearly emphasizes that priority is given to main residents: "We still have people who have no heating because everything there is still under water!" He estimates that the damage assessment will take weeks, perhaps even months. He also emphasizes that the damage commissions in the municipalities are only tasked with recording the cases and that the assessment is not carried out on site. 

We have people who have no heating because everything is still under water. And they must be helped first!

Bürgermeister Christoph Kaufmann

However, city boss Kaufmann estimates that areas that would regularly be under water anyway will not receive any disaster aid. "You only build on stilts in flood areas. It would only be logical if the usual water damage that you otherwise have to put up with is not covered by the disaster fund," says the mayor, referring to the state.

Secondary residents can hope here
Owners of houses that are licensed and used as residential buildings can hope to receive disaster funds. Electricity, water and sewer connections or wells and cesspools indicate residential status.