FPÖ Criticizes Condition of Municipal Buildings Before Vienna Election
The city's housing policy is also a topic in the ongoing election campaign for the Vienna election taking place in a week and a half: Both the Freedom Party and the Greens identified numerous grievances in the city's housing policy on Wednesday. While the FPÖ mainly criticizes significant structural deficiencies in Vienna's municipal housing, the Greens presented a new model for a vacancy tax on Wednesday due to an estimated 80,000 vacant apartments.
It would be clearly evident that SPÖ Mayor Michael Ludwig "slept through" the renovation of municipal housing during his time as housing councilor, said FPÖ top candidate Dominik Nepp at a press conference. This has resulted in a renovation backlog of up to 10 billion euros. Numerous buildings are at risk of collapse, unaddressed water damage leads to mold, and broken windows "make a dignified life partially impossible," Nepp explained. He cited buildings on Handelskai or Baumgartenstraße as concrete examples. At the same time, buildings are being constructed only for those entitled to asylum and those with subsidiary protection. The municipal housing residents do not understand this, Nepp is sure.
Renovation Backlog of 10 Billion Euros
The Court of Audit also found that 75 percent of Vienna's municipal apartments require renovation, resulting in a renovation backlog of 10 billion euros. "Mayor Ludwig is also so brazen as to increase rents several times in recent years," criticized the Vienna FPÖ leader. What is needed now is a comprehensive expansion of municipal housing and an adjustment to the housing cooperatives. These would lower their rents to the base amount upon completion of the construction project, which would reduce rental costs in municipal housing by up to 40 percent, Nepp said.
Furthermore, housing assistance should be linked to citizenship, and municipal housing should only be allocated to Austrians. Subsidized apartments should also only go to people with Austrian citizenship and those "demonstrably integrated."
Municipal Housing: FPÖ and Greens Criticize Red Housing Policy Before Vienna Election
FPÖ federal construction spokesperson Michael Oberlechner pointed out that not only Wiener Wohnen is responsible for the current situation, but also Sozialbau AG. Under the former general director Josef Ostermayer (SPÖ), there were investment losses of up to 70 million euros. With these funds, 1,500 new social apartments could have been financed, so social housing is "completely out of control," Oberlechner stated. A SPÖ-affiliated association, namely the Association of Vienna Workers' Homes, is also involved in this social housing network through "complex structures." "You can tell the red heart beats for their own comrades but not for the people," said the federal construction spokesperson. The silence of the ÖVP and NEOS on these grievances is also noticeable, Oberlechner noted.
The Vienna SPÖ immediately rejected the blue accusations. "Vienna has stood for affordable and quality housing for over a century. The recent statements by the FPÖ once again lack any factual basis and only serve political agitation," emphasized SPÖ state party secretary Barbara Novak. Since 2021, one billion euros have been invested in the renovation and construction of new apartments. Novak pointed out that with the current "Housing Offensive 2024plus," around 22,000 apartments for up to 45,000 people are currently being built. "While we are building, the FPÖ sticks to empty slogans," the red campaign manager noted.
(APA/Red)
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