Heated discussion

Affordable housing remains a perennial issue in Innsbruck

The city of Innsbruck is postcard-worthy, but affordable housing remains difficult for locals

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

The housing problem in Innsbruck continues to come to a head, so it's no wonder that this is the third time - at three municipal council meetings in this period - that it has been the topic of the current hour. There is praise for the new city housing guidelines, but also criticism. The emergency tent for homeless people was also heavily criticized. The city does not accept the state's rejection of the housing emergency.

There have been three "topical hours" in the legislative period of Innsbruck's municipal council so far, three of which have dealt with the topic of "housing". The issue of unaffordable housing is in the bones of the people of Innsbruck and their politics. This time, the KPÖ set the topic. Club leader Pia Tomedi sharply criticized the state in particular: "Now, in a rare moment of common sense, the federal government has changed the legal situation and the state government has passed the worst vacancy tax law of all the federal states, which is so cynical."

Now, in a rare moment of common sense, the federal government has changed the law and the provincial government has passed the worst vacancy tax law of all the federal states, which is so cynical.

KO Pia Tomedi (KPÖ)

Rebuff from the state is not accepted
Other items on the agenda dealt with housing: The city did not take note of the state's rejection regarding the housing shortage and is starting a new attempt: "Municipal housing, application by the city of Innsbruck for the purpose of determining a 'quantitative housing shortage'".

The reserved areas will be available this year.

BM Johannes Anzengruber (JA)

BM Johannes Anzengruber (JA) made people sit up and take notice: "The reserved areas are coming this year." By way of explanation: at least half of the area on reserved sites must be developed with city apartments. The rest can be built on freely by the landowner. The new allocation guidelines, which will allow more people to rent a city apartment, were also approved.

Criticism: extra points only from care level three
Although the new allocation guidelines were largely well received, there were also points of criticism. For example, GR Andrea Haselwanter-Schneider (Liste Fritz) noted that extra points are only available from care level three, although they would be necessary even before that. Club chairman Benjamin Plach (SPÖ) agreed that improvements could be made here. The FPÖ and KPÖ voted against (for some the relaxation goes too far, for others not far enough), the Tursky list and GR Reinhold Happ (FPÖ) abstained.

Vienna is the world capital of social housing, Innsbruck is the tent city of social housing.

KO Andrea Dengg (FPÖ)

"Tent is unworthy of Innsbruck"
In the course of the discussion, the emergency accommodation - a tent - was criticized as "unworthy" for the people in the emergency shelter. The emergency shelter had to be closed due to a bedbug problem that had been known since August. The government pointed out that the emergency shelter was the responsibility of the state (TSD). The opposition nevertheless sees a failure on the part of the city government; the tent should not have been allowed. "Vienna is a cosmopolitan city of social housing, Innsbruck is a tent city of social housing," said KO Andrea Dengg (FPÖ). Meanwhile, GR Sophia Neßler (Greens) insists on student residences.