Salzburg (OTS) – On May 6, 2024, the Association for Housing Promotion (VWBF), together with the host AK President Peter Eder and the future mayor of Salzburg Bernhard Auinger, ceremoniously opened the traveling exhibition “Living with a Future” in the Salzburg Chamber of Labor, Markus-Sittikus-Straße 10.
Importance of non-profit housing for society
With 35 informative display boards, the exhibition offers a comprehensive insight into the system of non-profit housing and its positive effects on the population’s quality of life. Non-profit housing is a key element in the fight against constantly rising housing costs, which represent a significant burden on the residents and the business location of Salzburg.
Expensive housing puts a strain on people
AK President Peter Eder calls for the supply of subsidized rental apartments to be increased: We need 1,000 subsidized rental apartments every year. The current record of housing subsidies in Salzburg is inadequate, as over 1,800 fewer rental apartments have been subsidized than planned since 2018.
He further criticizes the fact that over 650 million euros from housing subsidies have flowed into the general state budget since 2018 and calls for a return to the loan model in order to secure the long-term financing of the subsidy system.
He adds that high housing costs not only burden Salzburg’s population but, according to a WIFO study, have also become a competitive disadvantage for the local economy. Housing costs drive workers to move to other states where they can keep more of their income after housing costs are deducted.
Mayor Auinger explains his plans for his future term in office
At the opening of the exhibition, the newly elected mayor Bernhard Auinger stated that, given the high housing costs in the city of Salzburg, the venue for the exhibition was ideally chosen. Auinger also explained his plans for his future term of office: Over the next five years we are planning an active land policy to create affordable housing in Salzburg. A new spatial development concept is being developed that will also involve property owners more closely. Where non-profit developers cannot buy land for financial reasons, the city will intervene, purchase land and make it available for the construction of subsidized rental apartments.
Goals and visions of the exhibition “Living with a Future”
Michael Gehbauer, chairman of the VWBF, provides a current reference to the housing package. The VWBF also calls for a loan with a fixed interest rate of 1.5% pa for subsidized rental apartments and homes in order to improve social accuracy. This would help to sustainably reduce the costs of urgently needed housing.
The exhibition is open to the public in the AK Salzburg from now until the end of June 2024. The opening hours of the Chamber of Labor are: Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The exhibition will be on display in the AK-Vorarlberg from July.
About the VWBF – The Association for Housing Promotion is committed to promoting and supporting non-profit housing throughout Austria. Through various initiatives and projects, the VWBF strives to make high-quality, affordable housing accessible to a broad segment of the population.
Questions & Contact:
VWBF – Association for Housing Promotion
Christian Swoboda
+43 664 51 40 260
c.freedom@vwbf.at
www.vwbf.at