The document discusses housing issues and homelessness in Vienna, Austria. It describes the situation before 1996, with an increasing homeless population and rising rents leading to thousands of families becoming homeless due to a lack of affordable housing. It then outlines the political objectives to address this, such as preventing further homelessness, reducing shelters, and securing more affordable housing. Finally, it summarizes the results of counseling programs that helped reduce evictions by 38% and the costs and benefits of prevention programs versus housing reintegration.

1. Cardiff, 14. November 2008

2. Housing stock in Vienna
 7
5
0
.
0
0
0
Cardiff, 14. November 2008 d

3. Situation before 1996
 since 1980´s: increasing homelessness
 drastic rise of rents
 2/3 of eviction orders carried out
 4.000 families homeless
 problem: lack of affordable flats
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

4. Political objectives
avoiding increasing homelessness
reduction of places in public shelters
prevention instead of re-integration
minimise the costs of social welfare
securing flats (especially affordable)
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

5. Practical Aims
 avoiding loosing one`s flat and become
homeless
 prevention of personal suffering and
social exclusion
 help for self-help
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

6. Access
 information from court
 transfer from other social institutions
 friends and neighbours
 public campaigns
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

7. Information
 information on the law governing
tenancy
 information on the right to claim benefits
 individual financial plan
 assistance in negotiations with
landlords
 cooperation and transfer to other social
institutions
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

8. Counseling
 Reasons for the threatening situation
 own strategies for finding a solution
 possible solutions
 financial benefit
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

9. Results achieved
 reducing evictions from 63% to 25%
 sucessful cooperation with
houseowners, lawyers
 influence on law governing tenancy
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

10. Results (%)
90
80 83 80
76 76 78 78 76 78
72 73,5 75
70
63,5
60
50
Percent
40
37
30
20
10
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

11. Family situation
26%
40%
single
two or more adults
single parents
families
20%
14%
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

12. Cost - benefit - analysis
 reintegration: EUR 460.- per
month/person
 average lengths of stay is 18 months
 prevention: EUR 370.- per person
 20 % need advise and help a second
time = EUR 444.-
 the money needed for preventing eviction
allows only one month of reintegration
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

13. Future plans
 contact up to 80%
 aftercare for more sustainability
 housing first: quick re-integration
Cardiff, 14. November 2008

14.  Thank you for your attention!
 Renate U. Kitzman
 kitzman.fawos@volkshilfe-wien.at
Cardiff, 14. November 2008