Rising costs deepen poverty risks in Carinthia

Rising housing and food costs are increasing financial pressure on people at risk of poverty in Carinthia, social organisations say. ORF reported that the Carinthian Network Against Poverty and Social Exclusion marked its 30th anniversary on Wednesday.

Network chairman Christian Eila said rising costs were affecting people across society, including the middle class. Private rents in Carinthia are climbing rapidly, he said, while food prices are also rising. Incomes are not keeping pace, a strain that social organisations across the state are increasingly seeing.

Statistics Austria’s poverty threshold has remained stable, but social organisations report more people seeking help. Single mothers, large families and older people are particularly affected. Even couples with average incomes are finding it harder to manage financially without home ownership or subsidised housing.

Participants in Carinthia’s social dialogue are discussing new measures and projects, including examples from other Austrian states and abroad. One model is the Wohnen association in Lower Austria, which employs long-term unemployed people to renovate housing and help provide affordable homes.

The anniversary was marked with a ceremony and a conference on social dialogue at the Sankt Ruprecht community centre in Klagenfurt.