In Austria, nearly 20,000 people were registered as homeless in 2021. Two-thirds were men and almost 60 percent lived in Vienna. A survey among those affected shows that social contacts are both a trigger and an antidote to homelessness.
“A large proportion of those surveyed cited relationship or family problems as the main reason for their homelessness,” writes Statistics Austria, which this time surveyed a few hundred people who were temporarily homeless.
Family and relationship problems are often difficult to separate. At the same time, about two thirds of those affected in this phase stayed with relatives or friends – this is even more common in women than in men. While women were most likely to go to emergency shelters as an alternative, men were more likely to find themselves on the street or in a gazebo or RV replacing the couch.
According to Statistics Austria housing statistics for 2022, homelessness is mainly recorded in urban areas. A quarter find their way back to a permanent place of residence thanks to the support of family, partners or friends. This is followed by a new job or a subsidized apartment, as often mentioned ways to get out of homelessness.
Many Austrians experience temporary homelessness
Statistics Austria’s detailed survey of formerly homeless people now re-registered in a household also indicates that temporary homelessness is not so rare. Almost six percent of the adult population has gone through such a phase, extrapolated that would be 300,000 to 440,000 people in Austria.
In the Corona years 2020 and 2021, the number of registered homeless people decreased slightly – parallel to a decrease in the number of completed evictions. In the early 2010s, up to 25,000 people were registered in this category, in 2021 there will be 19,450. The figures from Statistics Austria do not show how many people without registration do not have a roof over their heads.
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.
