New plan for Wiener Neustadt: Social housing in focus!

New plan for Wiener Neustadt: Social housing in focus!

On October 7, 2025, the city of Wiener Neustadt will present a comprehensive reorganization of its social housing. The city will retain ownership of at least 25% of its rental units, which is 610 units. In doing so, it pursues the ambitious goal of operating on an equal footing with cities such as Graz, St. Pölten and Villach. The remaining rental units are to be allocated to private parties within the next 18 months in order to reduce vacancies and improve the quality of living.

IFP Immobilien Freizeit Parken-Wiener Neustadt GmbH (IFP) is responsible for managing the municipal rental units. In order to protect tenants' interests and municipal concerns, high demands are placed on future owners. The entire process is accompanied by CBRE Austria, an expert in real estate transactions. There are currently 2,192 council apartments in the city, of which around 500 units, or 22%, are vacant.

Strategies for improvement

The 5-point plan to optimize social housing is based on an exchange with experts, consultation with non-profit developers and an analysis of other cities. The proposals include, among other things, the sale of small, empty and unrenovable houses and the awarding of the remaining properties with building rights to non-profit developers. This is intended to ensure that city property is preserved in the long term.

Another element of the plan includes negotiations with banks to restructure a 53 million euro loan due by 2034. In addition, existing support programs such as the PlusCard should be evaluated in order to help citizens with increased housing costs. There are also plans to double the number of eight apartments that are given to people in need of social assistance in emergencies.

Financial challenges and solutions

The city faces an annual loss of around 4 million euros due to the financial burden imposed by the housing sector. In order to meet these challenges, investments in renovations and ecological sustainability are planned. In recent years, the IFP has only had 1.5 million euros available annually for renovations, which has had a negative impact on the building structure and living conditions of many apartments.

Mayor Müller took out a 120 million euro loan to stabilize the city's finances, while the SPÖ, which has championed tenants' interests for over 100 years, plans to vote against a large-scale property sale. This is done in the context of a longer-term strategy that not only responds to the current situation but also takes into account the needs of future generations.

Social housing has traditionally played a central role in the creation of living space in many European countries, including Austria. Historically, this was initiated after the Second World War to meet the massive need for housing and rebuild cities. Particularly noteworthy are the phases in which social housing was consolidated and expanded in the 1960s and 1970s, which is also important for Wiener Neustadt.

In summary, it can be said that the reorganization of social housing in Wiener Neustadt must be seen not only as a response to current challenges, but also as a basis for a sustainable housing policy that benefits the entire population.