Federal Council: SPÖ insists on measures for affordable housing

Urgent request to Federal Chancellor Nehammer addresses housing costs, vacancies and speculation

Vienna (PK) – The SPÖ addressed housing costs as one of the main price drivers alongside energy costs in an urgent request to Chancellor Karl Nehammer in the Bundesrat today. The increase in housing costs cannot be explained solely by the crises of recent years, but is also primarily due to speculation and an artificial shortage of living space on the market. Although the federal government has recognized the problem, only a few of the measures in the area of housing have so far been processed, according to the criticism of the SPÖ. Announced steps against the vacancy are still open in order to be able to deal with speculation with living space. From the point of view of the Social Democrats, it would be important to have a vacancy tax as well as a second home tax, for example with regard to “artificially built” chalet villages and the associated sell-off of valuable areas. The lack of a rental price brake also sets a rental price spiral in motion, the inquirers criticize.

However, two motions for resolutions tabled by the SPÖ in the debate remained in the minority. They aim to create a constitutional basis for a “genuine vacancy tax” in the federal states and to promote the “social housing” zoning category for the creation of affordable housing in the federal states.

SPÖ for effective vacancy tax

David Egger-Kranzinger (SPÖ/S) complained that Austria was and is becoming more and more of a high-price country. He accused the federal government, for example, of not lowering a single price and of driving up inflation “with one eye” with one-off payments. Rather, what is needed is an effective vacancy fee for those who speculate with vacancies. Investors would also “earn a fortune” in second homes as investment properties, while young people could no longer afford to own a home in Salzburg, for example. Meanwhile, chalet villages would “sprout like mushrooms out of the ground” and only serve the greed of investors, according to Egger-Kranzinger. He insisted that housing should not “eat up” more than a third of household income. This could be achieved, for example, with active housing construction and a vacancy tax, which “really hurts speculators”.

Plakolm: No vacancy fee planned at federal level

Representing Federal Chancellor Nehammer, Secretary of State for Youth Claudia Plakolm emphasized that in her function, affordable housing is particularly important for young people. In any case, there is a need for relief when buying your first home. Overall, the competences in the living area are distributed between the federal and state governments. According to Plakolm, the federal government has already taken some measures to relieve the burden, for example the orderer principle for brokerage fees.

A vacancy tax is not planned at the federal level, and experts would also doubt the steering effect, she answered further questions. As far as chalet villages are concerned, the responsibilities would lie with the municipalities, and with good reason. According to Plakolm, there are no plans to shift competencies here. Anti-speculation rules, which were also discussed in the question, have already been expanded at federal level. According to Plakolm, further points in the area of housing from the government program are the subject of ongoing negotiations. When amending tenancy law, it is also important to her to do justice to both tenants and landlords. All in all, Plakolm referred to measures that have already been taken, such as the heating cost subsidy and the residential umbrella. There are no plans for the federal government to assume the costs of rent control measures that, according to the request, were set by municipalities.

Debate on proposals and measures

Daniel Schmid (SPÖ/T) criticized in the debate that the federal government’s “one-off payments” for relief would flow into the pockets of the “well-heeled real estate clientele in the turquoise haze” and widen the gap between rich and poor. He missed action and pointed to measures against the vacancy that were announced in the government program. There is an urgent need for an initiative at federal level to counteract the “uncontrolled growth” of chalet villages and apartment buildings, most of which are bought by well-heeled foreign investors. According to Schmid, it is high time that the federal states were given the power to take action against the vacancy.

Andrea Eder-Gitschthaler (ÖVP/S), on the other hand, agreed with the State Secretary and referred to increases in the heating cost subsidy and the housing umbrella, but also to relief such as with cold progression. She pointed out to Egger-Kranzinger that in Salzburg, among other things, the rental price brake had already been implemented and responded to the criticism of one-off payments from the federal government that there were similar ones in Vienna. It is also important to her to be able to create affordable home ownership again.

Johannes Hübner (FPÖ/W), in turn, called for an “honest discussion” on the subject of the housing market. The population of Austria has grown from seven to nine million people, among other things due to asylum seekers and displaced persons from Ukraine, who would also require living space. Chalet villages would not destroy the market and a vacancy tax would not solve the problem, Hübner described the debate as a “sham discussion”.

Elisabeth Kittl (Greens/W) replied that it was important not to look for “culprits” here, but to keep an eye on affordable housing as a fundamental right. On the subject of tourist rentals of existing living space, she spoke out in favor of Vienna for a ban on such short-term rentals with misappropriation. As far as a vacancy tax is concerned, some of the federal states have taken action themselves, but only to a small extent. From their point of view, a moderate but not “toothless” vacancy tax would bring more apartments back onto the market.

From the point of view of Karl-Arthur Arlamovsky (NEOS/W), the definition of vacancy is already problematic. According to him, it would make sense to keep the vacancy rate low in order to ensure efficient use. However, a certain minimum is necessary, for example when moving house. So far he has not seen a proposal that takes into account all exceptions for which there is a good reason. In order to cushion the developments on the housing market, Arlamovsky believes that regional and spatial planning could be used or appropriate area monitoring established in the communities. The promotion of innovative housing models is also an opportunity for him. (continued Federal Council) mbu

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