Glossary

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B

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D

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A

ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP HOUSING, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, URBAN RENEWAL AND WOMEN’S AFFAIRS
A department of the Vienna City Administration in which all administrative tasks related to housing policy, urban renewal and women’s affairs are combined and coordinated. The city councilor in charge, Kathrin Gaál, is also Vienna’s vice mayor and president of IBA_Vienna. 

AFFORDABILITY 
The principles of non-profit and subsidized housing can counteract price increases on the property market, thus creating secure long-term housing and rental relationships. Nevertheless, there is a constant need for new and innovative models as well as customized programs that respond to rapidly occurring changes in society: family structures, work situations, social environment and, increasingly, effects of climate change. The concept of affordability is therefore focused on the affordability of everyday life, and on a secure livelihood with the available means.

AUSTRIAN FEDERATION OF LIMITED-PROFIT HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS
This association is the umbrella organization of the limited-profit housing industry in Austria and, as such, controlling and representative body of non-profit building associations where membership is mandatory. The association monitors compliance with legal regulations, the statutes of member companies and the lawful execution of business instructions. It is also responsible for legislative initiatives and the appraisal of draft legislation, and it participates in com- mittees and working groups.

B

BUILDING GROUP
A building group (or building community) is an association of people with similar housing ideas who together create housing in a particular part of town. Building groups are ideal for those who do not wish to simply move into finished apartments, but also do not want to complete a project on their own. Group building and housing projects are usually initiated by smaller private groups, with participants already knowing each other. A potential way of realising this is for a small group to develop a concept and then look for partners to implement it.

C

CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Circular economy is a model of production and consumption in which existing materials and products are shared, leased, reused, repaired, refurbished, and recycled for as long as possible. This way, the life cycle of products is extended. For this purpose, the City of Vienna has set up its own Staff unit Ressource Conservation and Sustainability in Construction.

COOPERATIVE HOUSING
This type of apartment is subject to the Housing Non-Profit Act (Wohnungsgemeinnützigkeitsgesetz, WGG), which is why the principle of cost recovery must be observed when renting. Membership in the cooperative and the payment of a financial contribution are mandatory before moving in. Advantages of a cooperative apartment are the following: no commission, mostly no deposit, often more favorable rents when compared with the free housing market and unlimited rental contracts. Cooperative apartments are often offered with purchase options, thus promoting the possibility of acquiring ownership. In Vienna, most new cooperative housing projects were built in the outer districts.

COOPERATIVE PROCEDURE
In this process, urban planning principles concerning spatial environment are determined and structured by experts. Within the framework of a dialogical process, different interests of actors, stakeholders and residents are made visible, which are then incorporated into an urban planning solution. However, this is not an award procedure, but rather the preparatory framework for a competition.

D

DESIGN ADVISORY BOARD
This professional body for urban planning and design is staffed with independent experts from various disciplines and regulated by the Vienna Building Regulation. Drafts for zoning and development plans must be consulted by the Design Advisory Board before a political decision is made.

DEVELOPER
A person or a company that implements a project at their own risk. They are responsible for all tasks related to the construction project, starting with preparation, execution and controlling, to financing, implementation and completion as well as marketing. 

DEVELOPER’S COMPETITION
Introduced in 1995 by then City Councilor for Housing and later Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann with the aim of raising the quality of residential construction without increasing construction costs and rents. Along with the Property Advisory Board, the public developer competition is one of the most important instruments of subsidized Housing in Vienna. It is carried out in a non-anonymous tendering procedure, in which developers, architects and experts are able to apply with realization concepts for building plots. All subsidized housing projects are evaluated by an interdisciplinary jury according to the 4-pillar-model.

F

FONDS SOZIALES WIEN (FSW) 
An institution for the support of people in difficult life situations, arranging care and support services, assistance for the disabled, assistance for the homeless, debt counseling and basic care for refugees.

FOUR-PILLAR MODEL 
Criteria catalog for the evaluation of projects in developer's competitions or by the property advisory board. They include the categories architecture, economy, ecology and social sustainability. To be eligible for funding, each of the four pillars must be positively evaluated.

G

GEBIETSBETREUUNG STADTERNEUERUNG (GB*)
A service institution of the City of Vienna, which currently advises both tenants and homeowners on topics such as redevelopment, housing and tenancy law as well as infrastructure in five district offices throughout Vienna. The district offices act as service points, promoting neighborly cooperation and supporting initiatives and projects in the public sphere. In new development areas, they regularly take on functions of neighborhood management.

GEMEINDEBAU NEU 
The construction offensive Gemeindebau NEU (Municipal Housing NEW) was launched in 2015 by the City of Vienna, is carried out by the Wiener Gemeindewohnungs-Baugesellschaft (WIGEBA) and guarantees housing for 7.50 euros per square meter gross rent, deposit-free, open-ended and without the contribution of personal funds. The apartments are allocated via Wiener Wohnen. The residential buildings as well as the land remain under the ownership and management of WIGEBA and thus in the possession of the City of Vienna.

GENTLE URBAN RENEWAL
Careful and resident-oriented urban renewal instead of clear-cut redevelopment. The approach was introduced in 1974 along with the Urban Renewal Act and aims to improve urban living conditions with the involvement of the population. Today, the Gebietsbetreuung Stadterneuerung (GB*) developed from this approach is a contact point for residents.

H

HOUSING ASSISTANCE
Is a subject funding for low-income individuals and families and can be applied to with both private and subsidized housing. 

HOUSING FIRST 
Provides immediate access to affordable, permanent and inclusive housing combined with mobile psycho-social support. Housing comes first, solving other problems afterwards. Housing First sees housing as a starting point, not the ultimate goal. Housing First provides housing before offering other support opportunities.

HOUSING SUBSIDY
Is a object funding and covers the construction of housing, renovation projects and conversions to achieve accessibility. It can be applied for by both tenants and owners. At least one third of all newly constructed subsidized housing must be allocated via the Wohnberatung Wien. This supply obligation has a price-reducing effect on the entire housing market. 

K

KÖR – KUNST IM ÖFFENTLICHEN RAUM
The task of KÖR is to revitalize the public space with permanent or temporary artistic projects for strengthening the identity of the city or individual districts. For this purpose, artistic projects are carried out, commissions are given to artists and artistic competitions for projects in the public space are announced.

L

LIMITED-PROFIT HOUSING ASSOCIATION
Limited-profit commercial enterprises that build, refurbish and manage housing for the benefit of the general public. Colloquially, these building associations, whose non-profit status must be recognized by the state government, are referred to as housing cooperatives (Wohnbaugenossenschaften, WBG). However, a non-profit building association can be organized in three legal forms: as a cooperative, a limited liability company or as a stock corporation.

M

MIETERHILFE
A free advice center for all Viennese that offers immediate help with housing problems of any kind. Residents of subsidized apartments, tenants of municipal and private apartments, but also apartment owners are met with quick and uncomplicated support. In addition, tools have been developed that enable simple advice from home.

MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT 21 – DISTRICT PLANNING AND LAND USE
Is responsible for the development of the zoning and drafting plan, but also for urban district planning. Thus, it ensures sustainable urban planning qualities and, among other things, it is also an essential basis for sustainable neighborhood development. 

MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT 25 – TECHNICAL URBAN RENEWAL
Provides information, advice and service in the field of all housing technology on the subject of housing improvements and the associated subsidies offered by the City of Vienna, for example Vienna’s one-off-payment and rent calculator. The Gebietsbetreuung Stadterneuerung (GB*) is also located there.

MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT 50 – HOUSING PROMOTION AND ARBITRATION BOARD FOR LEGAL HOUSING MATTERS
Is responsible for housing subsidy in new construction and renovation, for individual tenant subsidies and also serves as an arbitration body in housing law matters. The department for housing research and, last but not least, the IBA_Vienna are also anchored in MA 50. 

MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT 57 – WOMEN’S AFFAIRS
As a specialized department of the Vienna City Administration, the Women’s Service is committed to a gender-equitable society. The focal point is the self-determined and safe life of girls and women. 

MUNICIPAL HOUSING
Vienna’s municipal housing is part of the social housing policy and looks back on a hundred years of tradition. Its mission is to create affordable and quality housing for the population. Communal housing is one of the initial social housing types, which was superseded by the subsidized housing and revived by today’s Gemeindebau NEU. The City of Vienna invests about five percent of its total budget in affordable housing. 

MUNICIPAL HOUSING APARTMENT
These rental apartments owned by the City of Vienna are characterized by favorable rents, unlimited rental contracts, commission-free handovers and largely equity-free financing. The criteria for the allocation of currently around 220,000 municipal apartments are defined by the Vienna Housing Ticket.

N

NEIGHBORHOOD MANAGEMENT
Is an initiative of Gebietsbetreuung Stadterneuerung (GB*) and can be used when more than 1,000 new housing units are built in an urban development area. One of the essential tasks of the Neighborhood Management is to inform and involve the population about the development of new urban neighborhoods and to promote coalescence with adjacent old development areas. 

O

OBJECT FUNDING
Forms the largest share of the financial resources used within the framework of housing subsidy of the City of Vienna. Its task is the promotion of new and the refurbishment of old buildings, with a focus on both affordable housing and gentle urban renewal. In contrast to subject funding, object funding aims to increase the stock of permanently socially committed housing and thus represents a means of curbing speculation.

OWNERSHIP LOANS
When purchasing a subsidized apartment, construction and land costs are obligatory fees. For this purpose, the City of Vienna offers low-income households a loan, which is repayable semi-annually over a period of 5, 10 or 20 years. 

P

PROPERTY ADVISORY BOARD 
This committee of experts from the wohnfonds_wien evaluates the quality of residential construction projects with less than 500 residential units that are to be built with subsidies from the State of Vienna. The funding allocation is based on the 4-pillar model of Viennese housing construction. Further quality assessment is carried out after completion.

PROPERTY SUPPLY 
An instrument of the wohnfonds_wien to create land reserves for subsidized housing projects. Currently, the City of Vienna owns land with a total area of more than three million square meters. 

Q

QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD
The new Quality Advisory Board of the City of Vienna is applied to large selected urban development areas. In the future, sustainable neighborhood development will not only concern subsidized new construction projects but also privately financed ones. In this way, planning goals across building sites are to be guaranteed during implementation. Responsible for the Quality Advisory Board is the wohnfonds_wien.

QUARTIERSHAUS
Here, not only living is to be offered, but an added value for the neighborhood should also be created. Through small-scale, multifunctional architecture as well as future-oriented mobility concepts and open space design, urban quality is to be achieved.

R

RED VIENNA
Refers to the political color code of the Social Democratic Party, which had an absolute majority in Vienna between 1919 and 1934. Under mayors Jakob Reumann and later Karl Seitz, a policy was implemented primarily in the interest of the working class, which pursued a centralization of care for the poor and health care, as well as promoting the construction of healthy housing and the expansion of public transportation. Red Vienna can be understood as an educational reform experiment. Emphasis was placed on social welfare, municipal housing, and school reform. By 1933, over 60,000 apartments and 5,000 settlement houses had been built, all owned or administered by the City of Vienna. The housing programs were financed largely by housing tax funds.

S

SMART-HOUSING
Compact housing solutions at low rents make up an offer aimed primarily at young people, families, single and separated parents as well as anyone looking for particularly affordable apartments. The apartments are allocated by Wohnservice Wien and are offered in six sizes, from 40 to 100 square meters. The monthly gross rent is a maximum of 7.50 euros per square meter. SMART apartments can be furnished with standard furniture and are handed over with all the necessary basic equipment (plumbing, electricity, etc.). The rents are comparable in price with municipal apartments. To be eligible for a SMART-housing, apartment applicants need a Vienna Housing Ticket with a justified housing need. 

STAFF UNIT FOR RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY IN CONSTRUCTION
Established in 2022 in the City of Vienna’s Construction Directorate, this staff unit drives forward the topics of resource conservation, reuse and recycling through circular economy under the motto “Circular Vienna”. 

SUBJECT FUNDING
Is a financial support of the City of Vienna for people with low income or difficult living conditions to secure the current monthly burdens. It is granted in the form of housing assistance or low-interest loans as a substitue of own funds if, for example, tenants are unable to pay the cooperative with their own funds when moving into a subsidized apartment.

SUBSIDIZED HOUSING
In addition to the construction of rental and cooperative apartments as well as owner-occupied apartments, the housing subsidy of the City of Vienna also provides financial support for the renovation of housing. In order to be eligible for this benefit, various criteria must be met, which are defined in urban housing via the wohnfonds_wien in the developer's competition. Unlike the communal housing, subsidized residential buildings are not owned by the city. 

V

VIENNA HOUSING TICKET
Is the criteria catalog of Wohnberatung Wien for the classification of interested parties for subsidized housing or municipal housing apartments. The basic requirements are a minimum age of 17 years, two years of continuous main residence in Vienna, Austrian citizenship or equivalent (EEA and third-country nationals), falling below the maximum income limits according to the Vienna Housing Subsidies and Housing Rehabilitation Act, and clarified family relationships (spouses or partnered couples may only jointly apply for the ticket). 

W

WIENER WOHNEN
Manages, renovates and operates the municipal housing complexes. This includes more than 220,000 existing municipal apartments, and for some years now, new developments have also been added via Gemeindebau NEU. This makes Wiener Wohnen the largest municipal housing management company in Europe.

WOHNBAUINITIATIVE (HOUSING INITIATIVE)
Is an object funding by the City of Vienna, which to date has only been implemented in 2011 and 2015. In this context, favorable loans were granted to non-profit cooperatives or to companies offering similarly favorable conditions as the subsidized housing. The city ties the allocation to both mandatory equity and rent caps as well as quality criteria. These are reviewed by an advisory board. Half of the apartments must be allocated via Wohnservice Wien. 

WOHNBERATUNG WIEN 
Arranges Subsidized housing and municipal housing apartments for Viennese looking for housing who have a Vienna Housing Ticket. It also provides information on financing and subsidy options.

WOHNFONDS_WIEN
Is the central point of contact in all questions of constructional development in subsidized housing, in the refurbishment of existing buildings and Gründerzeit blocks as well as in new construction and in the long-term provision of land. In this context, it takes care of project development and quality assurance (through developer's competitions and the property advisory board) as well as consulting and support for house refurbishments. Since 2021, the quality assurance of general development areas has also been in the hands of wohnfonds_wien within the framework of the quality advisory board.

WOHNPARTNER 
Support the networking of the neighborhood and help to solve conflicts in municipal housing estates. They are part of the Wohnservice Wien.

WOHNSERVICE WIEN 
Is the central contact for all questions concerning housing in Vienna. The services provided by Wohnberatung Wien, Mieterhilfe and wohnpartner are free of charge and include, among other things, the allocation of subsidized apartments, advice and assistance in matters of tenancy law, but also support for living together in large housing estates and municipal buildings.

 

Z

ZONING CATEGORY SUBSIDIZED HOUSING
This zoning category was introduced at the beginning of 2019 and states that for any new zoning of residential floor area comprising 5,000 square meters or more, two-thirds of the area must be set aside for subsidized housing.