Vorarlberg parties split over annual target for non-profit housing

Vorarlberg’s opposition is calling for more non-profit housing after the number of newly completed homes fell by a third last year, ORF reports.

About 2,500 homes in new buildings were completed in the state last year, down a third from the previous year. SPÖ parliamentary group leader Mario Leiter called the result a failure of the ÖVP’s housing policy. He accused state governor Markus Wallner of focusing on issues outside his remit instead of tackling high rents and unaffordable property prices.

Leiter wants at least 1,000 additional non-profit homes built each year. The Greens also criticised the government’s record. Their housing spokesperson, Bernie Weber, called for at least 800 non-profit homes annually and a bonus-malus system to reward municipalities that create affordable housing.

ÖVP and FPÖ housing spokespeople Christoph Waibel and Hanno Lecher said on Tuesday’s “Neues bei Neustädter” programme that building more than 500 non-profit homes a year would not solve the problem. They said 500 was a realistic target that housing providers could deliver and that could be financed through housing subsidies.

The ÖVP and FPÖ, which form the state government, have submitted a motion in the state parliament aimed at curbing housing costs. It includes plans to remove obstacles to building non-profit homes.