Quality of Housing and Social Justice in Vienna.
A Comparison of the Quality of Housing and Household Structures
between 1995 and 2008

Objectives of the Study

In recent years the subjective satisfaction with housing as well as the objective quality of housing have risen in Vienna. Moreover, the implementation of the EU Equal Treatment Directive has lead to improved access of migrants to public housing and hence the social structure in subsidised housing has changed.

Based upon the existing surveys on the quality of life in Vienna, three main questions are investigated in this study:

• Which social groups have benefited from improvements in the quality of housing and which have not?
• How has the household structure in public housing changed since 1995? What changes result from the opening up of public housing to third country residents and migrants?
• What are the characteristics of the household structure in new subsidised housing construction?Wohnobjekten?

Selected Results

Single parents with children below the age of 15 are disadvantaged in respect of the cost of housing as well as the time frame of rental contracts. On the other hand, this group experienced substantial improvements in terms of housing and residential compound equipment. The share of overstaffed housing has been drastically reduced.

Households with many children, too, experienced improvements in terms of the equipment of housing and residential compounds. At the same time, the cost of housing in this group has risen above average since 2003.

Single women above the age of 60 were living twice as often in condominiums in 2008 than in 1995, and half as often in public housing. In sum, the share of housing cost of net household income is comparatively high in this group, while the quality of equipment is below average (except equipment with elevators).

The group of DINKs were living mostly in privately rented flats in 2008 as well as in 1995. The share of condominiums has doubled in this period, the share of public housing has slightly diminished. The quota of net income spent for housing cost is lowest in this group.

Young Viennese were living predominantly in privately rented flats in the period from 1995 through 2008. In terms of equipment with balcony or terrace, this group is clearly the least privileged. The monthly housing cost burden for young Viennese is high and has increased since 1995.

Persons above the age of 65 (living in 1- or 2-person households) show an especially marked trend to condos and a decrease in public housing by 20 percent in the period studied. 99 percent of the respective households have unlimited rental
contracts. Moreover, in this group the share of housing cost of net income is comparatively low.

Non-citizens in Vienna are disadvantaged primarily in respect of cost of housing but also a higher share of short-term rental contracts (about one fourth both in 1995 and 2008). In 2008, non-citizens lived about five times as often in public housing than in 1995. Looking at the quality of housing, native-born Austrians are better of than naturalised citizens and non-citizens. However, the differences between those three groups have diminished since 1995.

Household Structure in Public Housing and New Subsidised Housing Construction

Overall, the population in new subsidised housing is on average younger, better educated and has a substantially higher household income per capita than in public housing. The share of non-Austrians is lower in new subsidised housing construction than in public housing, but on the increase in both segments of the market.