Come again and again

Homeless camp in the underground of municipal housing

As soon as Wiener Wohnen clears the warehouse, it is repopulated.

(Bild: zVg)

The Thürnlhof housing estate in Vienna-Simmering has more residents than tenants: No matter how often you clear it away - homeless people keep setting up camp under the parking lots. Wiener Wohnen is aware of the problem, but is unable to make any fundamental changes due to the structural conditions.

Mattresses, blankets, cushions, leftover food, everyday necessities and even cuddly toys: homeless people have taken up residence under a parking deck in the Thürnlhof housing estate in Simmering, one of the largest municipal housing estates in Vienna with a total of around 6,800 residents - and are claiming the space for themselves: Wiener Wohnen keeps having the camp removed and the homeless people keep coming back.

Barriers demanded
Wiener Wohnen had the improvised bed camp removed in the summer, then again in September and most recently on November 5. A week later, everything looked the same as before the eviction. The tenants in the municipal building try to keep their distance, several of the homeless also have dogs with them. Wolfgang Kieslich, a member of the Simmering state parliament, has taken up the matter. He is calling for structural measures - such as those already installed in the housing complex opposite.

Opposite the Thürnlhof housing estate, structural barriers were installed to prevent homeless people from taking up the space under the ramp.

(Bild: zVg)

Rapid construction in the 1960s takes its revenge
Wiener Wohnen is aware of the desire for barriers, but says it cannot fulfill it: The estate was one of the first of the city's fast-build prefabs - a legacy with structural problems to this day. In this particular case, the building police have forbidden the area to be bricked up because the substructure of the parking deck must remain visible for inspection at all times. Wiener Wohnen believes that partially covering the area would make it all the more attractive as a place to sleep.

Quick action by the responsible authorities is needed so that residents can live in peace and safety again.

Landtagsabgeordneter Wolfgang Kieslich (FPÖ)

"Always call the police, without exception"
What has apparently been insufficiently communicated to the residents so far: Wiener Wohnen says it is "in close contact with the neighborhood police about the problem in order to increase pressure through increased presence and checks by the police." Tenants are urged to "always inform the police without exception" in the cases described. The police are also in contact with charitable institutions and are therefore best placed to take the necessary steps.

So far, the homeless have apparently not wanted to make use of the city's emergency shelters and other accommodation. Wiener Wohnen also hopes that the falling temperatures will convince people that they are better off there - and that the residents of the Thürnlhof estate will be able to move around their council housing complex again without feeling uneasy.