ÖVP seeks €10,000 start-up capital for first home

Burgenland’s ÖVP is calling for financial support from the provincial government for people building their first home, ORF reported. Young people should receive €10,000 in start-up capital to help them build a future, parliamentary group leader Bernd Strobl said.

Strobl criticised the province’s offer of early, discounted repayment of housing loans, saying it had cost Burgenland around €200 million in revenue. That sum could have supported 20,000 homes, he said at a press event in Eisenstadt on Thursday. Strobl accused Governor Hans Peter Doskozil of the SPÖ of giving up the money to obtain funds more quickly, leaving less available in future for housing construction, renovations and affordable housing.

The ÖVP also wants to examine whether a provincial equity guarantee could help when a sound and affordable financing plan fails solely because the borrower lacks sufficient capital. “We do not want to enable risky loans. But a young person with a solid income should not fail to buy their first home for that reason,” said Daniel Heintz, chairman of the provincial Young ÖVP.

SPÖ rejects criticism

SPÖ housing spokesman Kilian Brandstätter rejected the criticism of the early, discounted repayment scheme in a written statement. He said it had relieved almost 12,700 people in Burgenland by around €85 million. The money had not disappeared but had remained with people “who built a house or created housing,” Brandstätter said.