Municipal housing campaign

Viennese rent sweets for apartment swaps in old age

Financial incentives are intended to make older municipal housing residents less reluctant to move.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Leika production - stock.adobe.c)

Vienna is once again taking steps to redistribute living space in municipal housing. The dilemma that families in cramped conditions often live right next to single elderly people in large apartments is now to be solved by a special discount on the rent after an apartment swap.

Vienna has already made several attempts to solve the dilemma in municipal housing that single senior citizens often have larger apartments available than young families. Past attempts have met with little success. Now, financial incentives are intended to make it easier to move out of an apartment in old age that used to be occupied by a whole family - so that a new family can find a home there again.

Alone in the large apartment - and the overcrowding next door
This problem has been plaguing Vienna to an increasing extent for years: a quarter of all council house residents are now over 60 years old. On average, the 65+ age group has been living in their apartment for 26.67 years, and often alone in 80 square meters or more because the children have long since left home and the partner has already passed away. At the same time, 12.7 percent of all council apartments are overcrowded, in which a quarter of all council housing residents live.

Apartment swaps are good business
The city's offer can be summed up as "65+ times two": Anyone over the age of 65 who has been living in a council apartment with more than 65 square meters for at least ten years can now get help from the housing advice service to find a new, suitable - and accessible - apartment. This not only saves you from having to renovate outdated apartments, but can also save you a lot more.

Exchanging apartments is a good deal, especially for those who are paying the old low-category rent for their apartments. They receive the new apartment with a discount of 35 percent on the standard rent. This, together with the smaller apartment size, should in most cases provide significant financial relief month after month.

Subsidies for age-appropriate conversions too
However, anyone over the age of 60 who wants to convert their main residence in Vienna - from a condominium to a rented apartment to an allotment house - to make it age-appropriate can also receive support from the city if their own finances are insufficient. What few people know: De facto, all construction and installation work that brings more accessibility into your own four walls is subsidized in Vienna by 35 percent or a maximum of 4200 euros.

The right living environment is crucial to being able to live independently into old age.

Wohnbaustadträtin Vizebürgermeisterin Kathrin Gaál

Bild: Holl Reinhard

The departments for technical urban renewal (MA 25) and housing subsidies (MA 50) are responsible for funding. Their joint info point (1200, Maria-Restituta-Platz 1, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 1 pm, 01/4000 74860) not only processes applications, but also provides technical advice on which measures are possible and sensible. On average, 3041 euros are paid out per funding application, mostly for renovation measures in the sanitary area.