Salzburg pledges funding for 1,300 rental homes by 2028

Salzburg plans to fund 1,300 subsidised rental apartments over the next two years, state housing councillor Martin Zauner said after budget talks, ORF reported. The state will also bring forward subsidies for apartment purchases and cover much of the federal funding that will end with the Housing Billion programme.

The state has budgeted €166 million a year for housing subsidies over the next two years, Zauner said. He said the amount would be enough to finance projects proposed by nonprofit and commercial housing developers.

For the sale of a state-owned office building on Michael-Pacher-Strasse, the state chose housing provider GSWB to build hundreds of subsidised apartments on the property rather than sell it to the highest bidder.

Zauner also wants housing subsidy contributions paid by employees and employers to be legally reserved for housing. He said the change would not happen during the current legislative term, but could become a coalition condition when a new state government is formed in 2028 or 2029.

The sports budget under Zauner will remain at its 2026 level of €9.3 million over the next two years. Funding will go towards repairs at the state-owned stadium in Kleßheim and improvements to the ski-jumping facility in Bischofshofen, which are expected to cost more than €2 million. The state and its tourism department also plan to contribute €500,000 to the 2028 mountain bike world championships in Leogang.