Housing Regional Councilor Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister, together with Ingrid Neuhauser, Managing Director of the Wohnen Association and Isabella Stickler, Chairwoman of Alpenland, informed about measures to support housing for Lower Austrians and housing subsidies today, Friday, at the Wohnen Association in St. Pölten. Lower Austria has had to overcome major challenges in the past with the KIM regulation, rising construction and energy costs and the interest rate landscape, said Teschl-Hofmeister: “Regardless of these parameters, we have used all the levers that were available to us, “To ensure, as far as possible, that people can afford to live and live in Lower Austria.”
In 2023, a future-proof housing subsidy model was created, continued the housing councilor: “Social housing is at home in 520 of 573 municipalities in Lower Austria. Two out of three newly built residential units in multi-storey buildings with more than three residential units are supported and built with funds from housing subsidies in Lower Austria.”
Teschl-Hofmeister summarized the year 2024: “In 2024, funding was approved for more than 4,900 residential units with a funding volume of around 358 million euros.” With the federal special-purpose grants, 352 additional residential units were able to be created, with a one-off grant of 41 million euros . According to the state councilor, an important topic is renovation: “We have achieved a record of 4,300 residential units, which we supported with our own housing subsidies amounting to 7.8 million euros.” With the federal government’s special-purpose grants amounting to seven million euros, 513 residential units were approved. “In total, there are more than 4,800 residential units that have been approved for renovation,” said the Housing Councilor and continued: “If you add new construction and renovation together, then we have over 10,000 residential units in Lower Austria that we have approved. some of which have already been carried out and construction continues: around 4,000 residential units are currently under construction in Lower Austria.”
In the home ownership sector, a loan with a fixed interest rate of one percent and various terms was set up. The amount of the loan is based on a points system that takes into account parameters such as energy-efficient construction, location bonus and family situation. During the renovation, a four percent annuity subsidy is granted for a term of ten years. “With all the resources we use, we not only create living space, we also secure jobs,” said Teschl-Hofmeister and continued: “The housing subsidy supports a total of 45,000 families and households every year and 15,500 households also receive the housing subsidy, 41 million euros in total We have made repayable grants available for this purpose. We have also introduced a flat rate for operating costs of 1.50 euros per square meter. We have invested 8.5 million euros for this.”
One of the biggest chunks of the housing budget is the interest rate cap: “Last year alone we invested over 100 million euros in this interest rate cap,” said the state councilor, reporting that under the old housing subsidies the state covers the costs if a certain maximum interest rate is exceeded. If you have any questions about housing, the state’s housing hotline can help, and the Housing Association has been offering initial consultations and Lower Austrian housing assistance for people in need for 35 years.
Ingrid Neuhauser, managing director of the Wohnen Association, reported: “When people call us, they want to calm down. The challenges for people are becoming more and more overwhelming and are overwhelming people.” At the Wohnen association, people are met in their specific life situation, life perspectives are clarified and initial advice is given free of charge over the phone. “Last year, 2,200 households took advantage of the advice, two thirds of the callers are women.”
Isabella Stickler, chairwoman of Alpenland, remembered the first apartment handed over in St. Pölten in 2006 and summarized: “In this cooperation, we have so far handled over 200 apartments with the state of Lower Austria and Vereinen Wohnen and it has proven to be true Living is the anchor for everyone.” The Wohnen association begins the tenancy, ensures stability in the support and the customer takes over the tenancy, Stickler added: “It turns out that this cooperation with the allocation of an apartment and the support is a successful model. In this triangle, the state of Lower Austria, the Wohnen association and the non-profit housing developers ensure that a special group of people are supported and can transition into an orderly life.
Further information: Office LR Teschl-Hofmeister, press spokesman Mag. (FH) Dieter Kraus, telephone 02742/9005-12655, email: dieter.kraus@noel.gv.at.