Rising housing costs are leading more and more Viennese into a debt trap. Nearly every tenth is in arrears, especially on council housing – and the trend is rising.
More and more people can no longer afford the rising housing costs: rent arrears and additional housing costs, especially for heating, are rising. As current figures from Statistics Austria show, Vienna is again at the center of attention: 8.6 percent had debts with the landlord at the end of 2022, 6.3 percent with their energy supplier.
Precarious situation in community buildings
If you look at these average figures in detail, it appears that the situation is worst in municipal buildings: here, one sixth tenant is already in arrears with payments, while rent arrears in private and cooperative rental apartments are between 5.5 and 6 percent.
What is striking is an easing in the third quarter, in which the backlog was significantly lower. At Wiener Wohnen, the reason for this is that the Covid-related standstill in evictions was ending at the time – and tenants therefore felt pressure to meet arrears. Many have also probably used their vacation money to pay off debt.
A quarter expects to go into debt
The outlook is bleak: more than a quarter of people now expect housing costs in the debt zone to slide. That is twice as many as a year ago.
Among financially particularly vulnerable groups such as single-parent families or the unemployed, almost half of all respondents now fear that they will no longer be able to pay their housing costs on time this year.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
